


F Sharp

by HalfwayThrough



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Orchestra, Cellist Rey, Everyone is a musican, F/M, Knotting, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Violinist Ben, they get a F- in communication but they're working on it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 01:15:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14842784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalfwayThrough/pseuds/HalfwayThrough
Summary: Rey Niima is the first Omega to play in the Chandrila Philharmonic Orchestra. She's already busy, but things get even more complicated when she's forced to work in close quarters with an asshole Alpha who also happens to be the best smelling thing she's ever met.





	1. Attraction For Strings

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my very first A/B/O fic. I recently discovered this particular niche and I just had to try my hand at it. This is also my first fanfic to be set in a modern AU so we'll see how that goes as well. Obviously, my main Reylo fic I'm currently updating, Crowned, is a very different kind of fic but I am excited to step up to the challenge. 
> 
> If I use a musical term incorrectly please forgive me, I am an admirer of music but I know next to nothing about it. Google and Wikipedia have been my dearest friends as well as many Youtube performances. 
> 
> Let me know what you think and enjoy!

“Good work everyone,” Amilyn Holdo said from atop her conductor’s podium. “See you bright and early tomorrow.” 

Chatter and the creaking of chairs as people leaned over to grab their sheet music filled the room. Rey stood up, taking the chance to stretch her legs after the long hours of rehearsal. 

“I’m ready for a drink!” Rose said loudly from the viola section, earning a chorus of chuckles. 

_I need a hot bath_ Rey thought, rolling her shoulders, trying to work the tension out of them. She’d been playing with the orchestra for months, but she still had yet to figure out how to keep her back from cramping after hours and hours of rehearsal. It was wonderful to be able to practice for that long, Rey never had the time in Jakku. Between scrapping for Plutt for cash and studying, she only had her hour in the practice rooms at the university and the weekends she spent playing in the park for quarters. She was thankful for the opportunity, but maybe the Chandrila Philharmonic could fund a fieldtrip to a massage parlor. 

“Oh! Before you all leave!” Holdo announced suddenly, hopping back onto her podium and sifting through her papers, her dyed curls bouncing around her shoulders. “Can I see Rose, Finn, and Rey?

Rey froze. For what? She caught Rose’s eye who look just as bewildered. Rey laid her cello down against her chair and stepped forward through the other musicians hurrying to get home. Holdo motioned them over to the front of the violin section. 

To Ben Solo. 

The Concertmaster of the Chandrila Philharmonic Orchestra was brilliant. A talented musician and skilled leader, like Alphas tended to be. However, he also happened to be the biggest asshole in the entire city. 

Most of the orchestra gave him a wide berth, as he was known to blow up at anyone for the tiniest things. Broke your bow strings? Have fun asking Solo for a new one. Having trouble tuning before a rehearsal? Be prepared to have him stare at you the entire time, tapping his foot and complaining how much precious time you were wasting. Going to miss a rehearsal? Better go grovel before the mighty Ben Solo and get chewed out about dedication to the artform. 

Talented… but intense. 

He seemed rather calm right now, leaned back in his chair just to the left of the conductor’s podium, his long legs stretched out before him. His violin that cost more than all of Jakku tucked neatly in his massive arms. Even Betas took him for an Alpha right away- it was hard to think of him as anything else. He had a danger about him, even relaxed Rey was afraid he might chastise her for the way she left her cello leaning against her chair. 

“Okay, so as you know the board has insisted we try to appeal to a younger cool crowd,” Holdo said, obviously not thrilled at the idea, her nose wrinkling at the horribly inadequate adjective that the older board members had used. “So, I’m putting you four in a string quartet to be our… cool.”

Finn and Rose were grinning like crazy, barely able to hold in their excitement at the assignment. Rey furrowed her brow, raising her hand as she presented her question. 

“But shouldn’t the first chairs get the opportunity?” Rey asked. Sure, she’d love to work in a quartet but the only section leader between the four of them was Solo. Hux would practically burst into flames if he knew Finn got to play second violin over him. 

“I did consider that but the other section leaders are um…,” Holdo held a finger to her lips trying to think of the proper words. 

“They’re old and boring,” Solo said, his low voice reverberating through Rey’s chest. She hated how much she enjoyed being close to him. Her dumb Omega hormones making her want to rest her head on his lap and listen to speak all night.

Stupid dumb Alpha and his ridiculously sexy voice. 

“Then why are you in it?” Rey quipped, her anger at her own body’s betrayal fueling the remark. Ben’s dark eyes snapped up to hers and she couldn’t help but let a cocky smile spread across her lips. Oh, how it must hurt to have an Omega slap his pride like that. Suddenly, he stood to his full height glaring down at her now not so cocky grin. She could see the tension in his shoulders, his scent spiking. The deep scent of sandalwood enveloped her in its warm, earthy embrace. Despite all the frustrations pointed in her direction, Rey couldn’t help but feel calmed by the pheromones wafting off the violinist. She wanted to close her eyes and bathe in the scent forever, to kiss the scent gland on his neck and savor his taste. 

Whoa whoa whoa, that wasn’t a very professional thought. 

“Don’t leave your instrument like that, it’ll fall,” Ben finally hissed, motioning to Rey’s cello behind her, before stepping back and planting himself behind his chair, his fingers digging into the fabric of the backing. 

“Anyway, Ben will have your music tomorrow and I want you all to come ready to work,” Holdo said giving them all a quick smile before leaving the rehearsal hall headed for her office. 

The rest of the orchestra had already filed out, leaving only the four of them to gather their things. Rey could feel Ben’s gaze on her back the entire time. She’d never admit it aloud, she reveled in it. An ancient part of her that was thrilled to have caught the attention of an Alpha. 

An ancient part of her that she wished she could ignore.

* * *

Rey filed into the rehearsal room, the coffee cup in her hand not doing much to soothe the exhaustion in her limbs. She’d barely gotten any sleep, instead spending most of the time lying in bed watching the cool blue numbers of her alarm clock change. 

Despite the mild autumn weather, it had been stifling in Rey’s apartment. She had kicked off her blankets and spread out like a child making a snow angel. Yet, sweat pricked at the back of her neck, her hair stuck to the moisture on her forehead. 

She jumped out of bed, cursing the entire way to the thermostat in the living room. She cranked it down to fifty degrees, ignoring how outrageous it would make her monthly bill if she made it a habit, and slinked back off to bed. 

The cool air helped, and she managed to drift off for an hour before waking again to stare at her ceiling for the rest of the night. 

She yawned, taking another sip of the drink that was more sugar than coffee as she moved around the orchestra members all dragging their chairs out of their normal formation. The brass section carried theirs out into the hallway towards the smaller practice rooms, the woodwinds sitting in a circle in middle of the room their instruments still in their cases. Then she saw the four chairs arranged in the far corner where Ben Solo was already seated, tuning his violin. 

Rey stood by the doorway for a moment, ignoring the chatter of the trombone players as they passed, her eyes focused on the man across the room. His large hands were delicate, his eyes closed as he brought his bow across the strings. A lock of black hair falling across his forehead. 

He was rather… handsome. Rey shook her head trying to banish the thought because she knew it would lead down a treacherous mind path. She downed the rest of her coffee, tossing the cup into the trash before Hux ratted on her for bringing it into the rehearsal hall. 

She crossed to the small semi-circle of chairs, setting her bag down on the chair directly opposite from Solo’s. 

“Good morning,” Ben said, playing a couple of bars from the sheet music in front of him. 

“Good morning,” Rey replied, shrugging her case off her shoulders and shimming out of her sweater. She listened to Ben play as she prepared her own instrument, the tune sounded very familiar. 

“What song is that?” she asked, walking around his chair to peer over his shoulder at the sheet music. His scent was stronger here, earthy and warm. Rey found herself leaning in farther than she needed to, just to get another quick breath of Ben. Every instinct she had moving her hand to place it on his solid shoulder. His bow crossed the wrong string, the sharp off note echoing through the rehearsal hall. 

Rey suddenly straightened up, snatching her hand back as if she’d been burned. Ben Solo doesn’t make mistakes. Ben Solo is a master of anything with strings. A perfect sight reader and a true expert in his craft. 

He doesn’t fuck up. 

The man in question brought his instrument to his lap, his bow dangling beside his chair. He was sweating, Rey could see the sheen on his forehead and could smell his scent spike. Perhaps he was frustrated? Or maybe even disappointed. 

The woodwinds gathered in their little friendship circle had turned around at the sour note, chattering among themselves. 

“I- I’m sorry,” Rey stuttered out, unsure of what else to say. 

“It’s not you,” he grumbled quickly. Ben faced away from her, but she could see him start to roll his neck around trying to ease the tension that had formed there. She bit her lip, crossing to the stack of black binders beside Ben’s chair. She kneeled down picking up the one that had “Cello” written on the spine in Ben’s small tidy hand. 

“Maybe I’ll take a crack at it.” She smiled up at him, trying to lighten the dark mood that had settled over the man. He glanced at her before raising his violin to his chin, once again diving into the realm of music and lost to the outside world. 

Rey took her binder to her own stand, pulling off the flannel shirt she had donned at her apartment, leaving her in a navy tank top and jeans. It was cold enough outside for three layers, but not in here- especially once they started practicing for real. 

She sat down, flipping through the music binder and reading the titles. There were a lot she recognized. They were all pop songs that played on the radio, no doubt the board’s secret plan to bring classical musicians into “cool” venues. She rubbed the back of her neck, her fingers mindlessly rubbing against her scent gland as she wondered if they’d be playing a lot of Ed Sheeran to newlyweds in the upcoming months. 

“Rey,” Ben’s low voice rumbled in her chest. She looked up meeting his gaze. It was intense, his warm brown eyes nearly black. His hands were trembling, his jaw set in a way that told her he was gritting his teeth. 

“Is something wrong, Ben?” she asked softly as not to attract any more attention from the nosy oboe players. His fingers were gripping his bow so tightly she thought he might break it. His gaze was so powerful, like an unspoken Alpha command for her to pay attention. She stared back, falling into the jet pools of his eyes, his scent making it impossible to tear herself away. 

Her Omega instincts kicked into overdrive, the scent of an Alpha clouding her mind until she could only focus on one thing. 

What would Ben Solo taste like? What would his bare chest feel like against her own? How would his cock feel knotting inside of her and filling her up to the brim with his cum. 

Her body burned, heat pooling between her legs as the thoughts bloomed in her head and they didn’t stop there. She was hungry to know what his lips would feel like against her own, or against her swollen clit. What would her name sound like as he moaned it into her? Would his skilled musician’s hands-

“Sorry we’re late!” a frantic Rose yelled from the doorway, Finn in tow. Freed from their biology’s spell, Rey and Ben quickly adverted their gazed back to their own instruments, ignoring whatever moment had just transpired.

Red crept across Rey’s cheeks as she suddenly took a great interest in time signatures. 

Ben cleared his throat, his violin strategically placed between his legs. 

“Don’t make it a habit,” he said, obviously trying for his trademark scowl but failing. His mind seemingly on a different planet. 

Finn and Rose grabbed their respective binders, taking the two seats between Ben and Rey. It should have felt like enough- two Betas sandwiched between them. However, the smell of sandalwood lingered in Rey’s nose and she scooted her chair backwards trying to appear that she was accommodating for her cello. Reluctantly, she spread her legs so that she could position the instrument properly. Mere moments after doing so she heard the scrape of Ben’s chair against the floor as he tried to put more air between them. 

Her gaze flickered up to him, admiring how his t-shirt stretched across his chest. He was built like a true Alpha- tall and muscular. She bet he could pick her up with ease, maybe even press her against a wall and-

“Ooo I love Florence,” Finn said, peering into his music book. 

“What?” Rey blinked at him, her mind foggy. 

“Florence and the Machine- we have a couple of her songs in here,” Finn said tapping the edge of the binder on the stand as if to point her attention to the whole reason she was here. 

“Oh. Right,” she mumbled, taking up her bow to scratch out the first few notes of Shake It Out. 

“Yeah, we’re gonna get so many cool points for playing songs that are nearly a decade old,” Rose said, raising an eyebrow as she thumbed through the selection. 

“Less chatting. Turn to page 15,” Ben’s voice was a low rumble, one that demanded obedience. They all flipped through their books and readied their instruments. Rey took in a deep breath and dove into the music, trying to lose herself in it.

* * *

It went horribly. No one said it out loud but they were terrible. Sight reading shouldn’t have been terribly hard for four professional musicians employed at a prestigious orchestra, but evidently it was. Rey had a hard time focusing, missing nearly every other note in an attempt to keep up with Ben who was flying through every measure as if he could speed up time if he tried hard enough. Rose and Finn had no chance of keeping up and stumbled their way through it and, like Rey, occasionally hit the right note but only out of dumb luck. 

The woodwinds kept glancing over at them, seemingly worried about the noise pollution they were creating. A few members of the brass section kept poking their heads in through the door as if to discover that- yes it was Ben Solo and his string quartet making the offending scratching ruckus. 

At every break, Rey reached down for her water bottle downing it and having to run to the water fountain to refill it at least three times. Her hair, which had started down at the beginning of their session, was thrown into three quick buns. Her skin glistened with sweat after an hour and she was starting to feel a little light headed. 

“Are you alright?” Rose whispered. “You look a little pale.” 

“I’m fine,” Rey said through gritted teeth, raising her bow again. She chanced a glance towards Ben, his features set in concentration, his dark hair glued to his forehead. She could see his fingertips pressing too roughly into the fingerboard, his bow slashing across the instrument as if he were slitting someone’s throat instead of playing a pop ballad. 

“How are my cool kids doing?” Holdo asked walking over, a painfully fake smile glued to her face. Rey leaned her forehead against the scroll of her cello, afraid to face the conductor. That was Ben’s job anyway, however, Rose beat him to the punch.

“Awful.” She said, slouching back into her chair, arms crossed in front of her. 

“Yeah, well, I could hear that from my office,” she said, relieved she could drop the fake smile in the face of honesty. She stepped in closer to the center of their semicircle, whispering so that the clarinets trying to eavesdrop wouldn’t hear her. “What is up with you guys?” 

“Bad day I guess,” Finn mumbled, frowning at his music. He was obviously disappointed in himself. Hux would most likely be on his ass the second he left rehearsal earning him a speech about dishonoring the second violins with his cut rate work. D’acy probably wouldn’t even say anything to Rey, but she’d see it in the older woman’s eyes. The three of them were so young and promising it would be detrimental to all of their young careers to bomb like this. 

Rey wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Her fingers were cramping from twitching around her fingerboard all morning, her mind still trying to focus through the fog of Ben’s scent. 

“Is it too warm in here?” Holdo asked, taking in Rey’s sweaty exhausted body. 

“It’s not the room, it’s us,” Ben rumbled, his jaw set and his forearms resting on his knees. “Amilyn, I think it’s time to call it a day.” 

Holdo frowned at him before setting her watchful gaze on the rest of them. 

“We all have hard days. I expect all of you to come in early tomorrow and play until you get it right. Understood?”

“Yes ma’am,” Rey, Finn, and Rose said in unison. Holdo gave them a nod before walking towards the flutes that had been inching closer by the second, straining to overhear. 

“Shit,” Finn said under his breath, holding his head in his hands. Rose was already packing her viola away, no doubt thinking about which bar to hit and hit hard. 

“Be here, tuned and ready to play, at five thirty,” Ben said, his voice detached and stern, slamming his music binder closed. 

“In the morning?” Finn whined.

“Five. Thirty.” They all knew that tone. The growl of an Alpha that is on the edge of being pushed too hard. The trio made quick work of gathering their things. Rey quickly slipped into her discarded layers, throwing her binder into her backpack. They huddled together as they performed their walk of shame across the rehearsal hall as if they might save them from the scorn of the bassoons. 

“Want to go to Maz’s?” Rose asked as they shuffled into the hallway. Rey had been right, Rose had been contemplating bars. 

“Rose, it’s two in the afternoon,” Rey said, her exhausted form struggling under the weight of her cello. Her sleepless night was catching up to her forcing her to sag against the wall to keep her feet underneath her. 

“They sell fries,” she said, looking just as pitiful as Rey felt. 

“Actually, that sounds great,” Finn said. 

“Great, let’s get some disappointment fries,” Rey said, pushing off the wall in preparation for the long walk to her car. 

“Rey?” the low voice sent a bolt of energy through her body. She felt her heart flutter in her chest and heat grow at the base of her spine. Certainly, a strong reaction for a single word. Then again Omegas did everything rather strongly. 

She peered over her shoulder to where Ben stood in the doorway, case in hand with his music binder under his arm. His hair a nest of messy curls spilling over his ears. His scent wrapping around her like a warm embrace all over again despite her only leaving it a few minutes prior. 

“Hm?” she mumbled, unable to form an actual word. 

“Can I talk to you?” he said, his eyes focused on her for a few moments before shifting to Finn and Rose. “Alone. In my office.”

Rey looked over in time to see Rose shoot her a quizzical glance. 

“Uh, sure. Of course.” She wasn’t entirely sure what Solo wanted to talk to her about. Sure, they had a stink day, but that was as much his fault as it was hers. 

“See you at Maz’s,” Rose said quickly before grabbing Finn by the arm and dragging him towards the exit. Knowing Rose, she was already formulating ten different reasons that Solo had called Rey to talk to him. She was looking forward to hearing them later. 

“Follow me,” Ben mumbled before moving past her, leading Rey down the hallway. 

“I know I was terrible today,” Rey blurted out, jogging behind him to keep up with his long strides. “We were all kind of garbage. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I don’t usually do this. You know- I’ve been here for months.”

The fresh worry of termination loomed in her mind. She was the newest member of the orchestra, an easy string to cut. They turned a corner, passing various offices before arriving at a door with a small bronze plaque beside it reading _Ben Solo – Concertmaster_.

He fumbled with a key, opening the door for her to enter first. His office was organized, but for a collection of papers scattered across his oak desk. Every wall was lined with bookshelves holding volumes and volumes of music, a small window set in the wall covered with a deep black curtain. A couch was under the window, piled with pillows and a few blankets. Did he sleep here occasionally? It would explain why the moment she stepped inside she was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of sandalwood and something else- something deep and distinctly male. No distinctly Alpha. Her legs quivered as the smell enveloped her, her cheeks already flushed at the ideas skating across her head. 

“Mr. Solo,” she said, slightly intoxicated on his scent. She thought using a professional title might make up for the very not professional fantasies she was having. Her body burned for his touch, her scent glands sore and desperate for him to run his tongue across them. She turned around, an apology already on her lips. “I’m sorry, I’ll be better-”

“Rey, we have a much more urgent matter to deal with.” Solo crossed to his desk depositing his instrument and binder there before leaning on the edge of it, his fingers wrapped around the trim with white knuckle force. 

“Which is?”

Ben cleared his throat.

“You’re in heat,” he said, his grip on the trim growing tighter. Rey shook her head, there was no way she could be in heat. She took powerful suppressants- the strongest ones they’d give to an Omega her size. She’d only had one before in her teens spent alone before deciding she wasn’t going to deal with that on a regular basis. “Rather you’re about to be, I can smell it.” 

Rey stood in shock. She was in no way prepared to deal with a heat right now. She hadn’t bought groceries in a week and a half and laundry even longer. She didn’t have a mate to see her through it- she didn’t even have any toys stashed in her drawers. 

“Oh no,” she said, the realization of her next week falling on her like a brick. 

“That’s not all,” he said through clenched teeth, his grip on the trim of his desk growing tighter. 

“What else?” she asked, worried what the news might be. 

“If I don’t fuck you right now I might lose my mind.”


	2. In the Office of the Mountain King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter is a tad short, but it's been so long since the first chapter that I felt like I needed to get it out soon. I have more time now, and should be updating regularly and more often from here on out. Fingers crossed for weekly at least.
> 
> I love all the responses and I read every single comment, everyone who occupies the A/O tags are so friendly and thirsty it's a great little corner to exist in. 
> 
> Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Rey wasn’t sure how long she’d been holding her breath. A long silence had settled between them, crackling in the air. Ben’s hands were still holding onto the desk as if it were his last anchor to life, his dark eyes pinning her in place. A voice rooted in the deepest part of her mind rejoiced- an Alpha was here to see her through a heat. A large one, at that, one she already knew and who had already proved himself a bold, commanding force. 

She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the slick pooling between her legs thoroughly soaking her underwear. Rey finally took in a shaky breath, only to be bombarded by Ben’s scent. The woman had never felt like this before. Her suppressants were fool proof. Sure, she’d think an Alpha smelled nice every now and then, but this was something completely different. This was her body responding to an ancient calling, a hard-wired code in her biology screaming at her to mate. Specifically, to mate the man before her. 

Rey shut her eyes, as if blinding herself to Ben Solo’s muscled frame would calm the storm brewing within her. Hormones clouded her mind and she pushed them away reaching for rational thought. She was the first Omega to play in the Chandrila Philharmonic, the first one to play in any orchestra worth its salt in the state. She’d only been with them a few months and to immediately trigger a rut in the concertmaster would look terrible. Would they even want her around if she was going to flaunt her scent around triggering any Alpha she was in close quarters with? 

She had fought tooth and nail against that very idea. She had never once halted her suppressants to make time for a heat- something that wasn’t exactly healthy for an Omega. They suggested having at the very least one heat a year, Rey hadn’t had one since she first presented in high school. To give into her most basic urges would give up everything she had worked for. Rey made it her on her own merits and years of arduous work, fucking Ben would be…

Mind numbly wonderful.

She slammed her back against the bookcase, sucking in more of the delicious scent of sandalwood. There was something else there- a softer scent. The smell of soil right before a thunderstorm. The calm in the air before violence. It made her limbs heavy as that deep, ancient voice crooned to her. 

Alpha is here to take care you, let Alpha help you.

She felt hot breath against her throat. Rey snapped her eyes open to see Ben caging her body in against the shelves. A hand gripped the binders beside her head, his mouth inches from her throat, his full lips trembling. Her pulse skyrocketed, her knees clenched together as her panties were rendered useless by her own biology flooding her cunt in preparation for the delicious pleasure of taking Ben’s knot.

His scent was as strong as ever, choking out every other thought in her mind. Rey watched the muscles in his shoulders move beneath his dark t-shirt, amazed that such a person could even exist. Alphas only looked like this in porn videos, and yet here he was all thick muscle and towering height, hunched around her body to suck in more of her scent. 

That was the worst part- he was perfect and he wanted her. 

“Omega,” his deep voice whispered before his lips made landfall on the base of her throat. Rey gasped, her hands flying up to his chest to grip at the fabric over his pecs. Heat flushed her entire body as the word slipped from his lips. Rey didn’t realize how desperate she was for this, for an Alpha to simply call her what she is- an Omega. It made her knees weak and she slumped against him, letting Ben press her body into the bookshelf. His teeth grazed her skin, his tongue flicking out to lick her scent gland sending electricity through her body, leaving her toes tingling with the aftershock. 

She wanted to linger in that moment forever, his body spread over hers protectively, his lips dancing over her skin. Her body sang under his touch like the strings of his violin, each caress of skin hitting the perfect note deep within her. 

But there was more to this than biology. 

“No,” she whispered softly, the word painful to say aloud. Rey untangled her fingers from his shirt, pushing against his chest. Ben’s body tensed, every muscle rigid as the unfamiliar word slipped between them. Omegas don’t say no to Alphas, especially ones about to go into heat. He removed his lips from her throat, looking up at her hazel eyes. 

“What?” his voice was hoarse as he strained to control himself. He moved a step back as if her weak shove against his torso had truly pressed him away. However, she could see in the tension of his jaw there was a waterfall of emotions and desire being held at bay. 

“I can’t,” Rey said, her body screaming at her telling her to worship her Alpha, to get his lips back on her skin. To apologize and let him take care of her, however as much as she wanted that she knew what she had to do. A knot would make her feel incredible, but she couldn’t sacrifice everything for it, right? “Not like this.” 

Ben stood there for a moment, his body an inch away but still refusing to free her completely. He cleared his throat, a vein in his neck poking up against the skin. 

“Do you have someone to help you?” he asked, the words passing through his lips as if they were wrapped in barbed wire, each syllable tearing at his tongue as they emerged. 

Rey shook her head before piping out a soft, “No.” 

“Rey- that’s dangerous. I can’t let you go home without someone to watch over you,” he voice was low and gruff, his Alpha instincts in full gear. The tension in his body had transformed into something else. Worry creased his features and the hand gripping the book case beside her head inched closer as if he was going to caress her face but stopped himself. The overwhelming need to care for and soothe fighting with the code of conduct of the orchestra that Ben no doubt helped write. Rey bit down on her lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

“I can take care of myself,” she breathed, trying to will her body to move to the door. She could easily slip under Ben’s arm and leave, but her feet were glued to the carpet. Ben huffed at her words, his face moving in closer, his lips hovering over her throat. 

“Let me take care of you, Omega,” he whispered. Ben could have easily used an Alpha command, but he didn’t. His voice was a soft- a plea. His hand finally coming to rest on her chin, a thumb swiping across her the wound she had just gnawed into her bottom lip. “Please.” 

Was Ben Solo begging? 

“But- ah,” Rey began to protest when a cramp rolled through her body. It was over quickly, just a taste of what was to come in the next few hours when her heat truly started. Ben’s arms were wrapped around her before the wave was even over. He lifted her up with one hand under her knees, the other around her shoulders. He carried her bridal style, and Rey resisted the urge to bury her face in the scent gland on his throat. He leaned down, carefully setting her onto the couch piled with soft pillows. Ben crouched on the floor beside her, a hand stretched out over her waist as if physical unable to leave her side. Can’t leave your Omega open to attack after all. However, as Rey scoffed at the behavior, her body savored it. The weight of his arm resting on her hips was comforting, her fingers suddenly curling around his wrist to keep him in place. “Ben, I-”

“Shhhh,” his free hand brushed Rey’s hair behind her ear, the touch of his fingertips on her forehead sending an electric shock through her body. “It’s okay, I’m here for you.” 

It was at that moment that Rey thought about how ridiculous it sounded for Ben Solo of all people to say that. Concertmaster Ben Solo, scowling at everyone during every rehearsal. Always short with everyone, even the conductor. A man whom Rey had never seen join friends for drinks after a performance, a man who always packed up his instrument alone and went to his office to finish work well after everyone was gone. He was kneeling beside her, shushing her worries away and arranging the blankets and pillows of his couch around her like a nest. Ben Solo who had a personal vendetta against anyone who dared see past the crusty exterior he had built. 

Hormones can sure do a number on someone. 

“Ben,” she said softly. He looked up at her, dark eyes searching for permission. His hands may be busy arranging a nest but the veins popping out of his forearms told her he was still biting back the things he really wanted to say. Rey may have a few more hours until her heat took over, but it seemed that Ben Solo was already thrust into the middle of a rut. The amount of control it would take to stop such a thing would be astounding. At the thought Rey felt even safer in his presence, as if she was safe from not only the world but her Alpha himself- a claim not all Omegas can make. “Ben, you’re my boss- I can’t-”

“Is that it?” he asked, his eyes suddenly hyper focused on her own. 

“What?” Rey said, shivering under the intensity of his gaze. 

“Is that why you said no?” 

“Well, yeah.”

“Is that the only reason?” 

Rey bit her lip. She had been talking herself down from a ledge for what felt like hours. She knew there were other factors to consider, but her heat was coming, and Ben was… well he was right there! She cleared her throat, returning Ben’s gaze. 

“Yes.” 

He was on top of the couch, a knee between her legs and a hand on either side of her head. He was so big. For a man who played such delicate music he was massive, more suited to wrestling than the violin. Ben leaned down into her, laying a kiss on the shell of her ear. 

“Let me help you,” he groaned. She felt something hard press into her thigh and gasped when she realized it was Ben. Her gasp twisted into a moan, her hips rising to grind against his. 

“Yes, Alpha,” she moaned. 

It was as if the strings holding Ben in place snapped. He descended on her immediately, his lips roaming from her lips to her jaw, then down to her throat. His hands ripped her shirt up, exploring the skin beneath it. A large, calloused hand palmed her breast through her bra, his hips pressing her into the couch. His scent spiked, filling Rey’s mind with sandalwood and rain. 

“God, you are so beautiful,” Ben groaned, licking at her collarbone. Rey felt blood flush her cheeks. She knew it was probably his rut speaking, but the idea of cool, cruel Ben Solo thinking she was beautiful sent a shiver of excitement through her body straight to the ends of her toes. Rey’s back bowed off the couch as Ben pushed her shirt up to her neck. He reached under her, long fingers fumbling around for the clasp of her bra. When he couldn’t find it immediately, he grunted, grabbing the brassiere in the middle between her breasts and ripping it off her body as it were made of rice paper and not wire and lace. 

“You’re paying for that,” Rey said, trying to reprimand him but barely having the energy to speak at all. He grinned down at her before attacking her exposed breasts. Ben’s sucked a perk pink mound into his warm mouth. Rey gasped, grabbing a handful of dark locks as he worked at her nipple, sucking and biting at the tender skin. She wiggled under him, moaning for more- for him. 

He drew his tongue up her chest, across her collarbone to the side of her neck where her scent gland throbbed. He licked the delicate skin before nibbling at it, teasing the delicious pain of the bite they both wanted. Rey had never even considered the idea of mating someone before but in the moment with her mind blurred with pure pleasure it echoed through her hazy mind. She could just imagine his teeth breaking the skin and claiming her. The thought made her moan out load and Ben quickly responded, grunting into her skin as he worked the skin of her gland even more. 

Rey squirmed, her hands tugging on her jeans. She managed to undo the button before Ben’s hands were brushing hers away. He yanked the zipper down before working the fabric down over her hips, leaving them bunched up on her thighs. He kissed her stomach just below the navel, before traveling down. He pulled her soaked panties aside, exposing her wet cunt. Rey squealed as Ben’s hands pinched the smooth skin of her thighs, pushing them open to see her. He stared for a moment before dipping two fingers between her folds. Rey shivered at the decadent contact and whimpered as he quickly pulled away. Half closed eyes watched him between her legs, as he brought his hand up, examining the slickness on his fingers. His eyes met hers, dark dangerous eyes that completely enveloped her. The scent of a rain swept over her, her abused nipples hardening to tight peaks. He brought his fingers to his lips and grinned at her before licking the juices from his hands. Rey blushed, her cunt flooding at the pictured painted before her. She wanted to question him, to beg his approval, to make sure she tasted just right for her Alpha. 

“God, you taste so good Rey,” he grunted, not satisfied with the sample he had on his fingers. He leaned down, pressing his tongue into her hot folds. Rey could feel his moans as he pressed further into her, and there was nothing she could do to stifle the cry that escaped her lips. She’d never been with an Alpha before, and even the Betas she’d seen were not exactly poets of the clit, but by Ben Solo was a gift. Rey stared up at the ceiling, stars bursting over her vision, her body shaking from all the sensations. If this is what it was like fucking an Alpha then she understood everything- every movie, every book about mated pairs. It was obscene and delicious and she wanted more.

Knock, knock, knock.

Rey’s eyes flashed to the office door, her breath stuck in her throat. Ben’s body was over hers in a flash, pressing low against her as if to shield her body from whatever threat had presented itself. Her cheek was pressed against his chest, and she could feel the low growl brewing there. 

“Solo? Are you in there?” a voice called, a man. Rey thought she remembered it, but all the different orchestra members began to blur together after a while. However, Ben’s protective growl grew louder, reverberating through his entire chest. Rey could feel it vibrating through her own body. She huddled beneath him, hazily trying to think of what she should do.

Calm Alpha, soothe Alpha.

Rey shifted on the couch, moving her body up so that she could slip a small timid hand up. She pressed her fingers against his cheekbone, and Ben leaned into her touch, his animalistic side sated for a moment. Rey brushed her fingers through his thick, dark hair. 

“Ben?” the voice called again, knocking harder on the door. Ben’s head snapped to the sound, and he launched off the couch, flying to the door. Rey quickly yanked her pants back up around her hips, basic instincts aside whoever was on the other side of that door didn’t need to see everything. She was still fumbling with her zipper when the door swung open. 

A man stood in the doorway, handsome tan skin with dark curls. Rey recognized him as a member of the brass section. Rey never spent a lot of time with the horn players to really know them, but she knew this one from Finn’s post rehearsal rambling at Maz’s. 

Poe Dameron.

The smell crept through the fog of her heat. A heady scent that was objectively pleasing- teakwood and leather- but felt wrong. It made her skin crawl and her mind was already desperate to get another unaltered whiff of Ben. 

Headstrong and impulsive. 

She could feel the tension in the air before the two before any words could be said. The room was ruled by biology, and right now an Alpha in rut had been interrupted by an outsider. 

An alpha.


	3. Three Journeys to a Holy Apartment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry about the extremely late update. I'm not going to make anymore promises about when updates will come because that just isn't how I work. Mad respect to everyone who can write on a schedule. Maybe this fic will help get better with that.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think in the comments. <3

No one moved. Rey was frozen in place, her eyes snared by Poe’s dilated pupils. He could smell her, the wetness between her legs that signaled her incoming heat. These three individuals stripped down to their biology as they all glared, muscles tensed, ready for someone to make a move. 

Ben emitted a growl from deep within his chest, a noise that no one could ever call human. Poe bared his teeth in response, a vein pressing against the tan skin of his neck as his body readied itself for a fight. 

Rey’s own body was protesting the absence of Ben’s warmth beside her. A part of her wanted to return to her couch, to protect her nest for when Ben returned from battle. A different section of her brain wanted them to battle it out, and see who was truly worthy of earning her heat. 

The other, more human, part of her wanted all of this nonsense to stop. She shook her head trying to clear it of the heavy fog that the scent of the two Alphas had laden her mind with. 

“Get out,” Ben snarled, finally finding words though anger. Poe took a step into the office, issuing a challenge. 

Rey frantically glanced around the room looking for something she could shove between the two men that might keep all of them out of an incident report. She heard the slam of Ben’s hand gripping the door frame, blocking the entrance to the room. 

“She’s MINE,” he growled. In a weird way it made Rey’s knees go weak. Her Omega mind swooning at a properly protective Alpha. The young woman set those thoughts aside, and finally spotted their savior sitting on a bookshelf by the window. Rey wrapped skinny fingers around the cold metal canister. 

She turned to see the Alphas nearly touching noses. Ben had a height advantage, but Poe was stocky and headstrong. If things got any worse there would be some bad injuries. No one needed musicians getting into a fist fight. If it did come to fists and Concertmaster Ben Solo shattered his knuckles on Poe’s nose, well they’d both be out of a job. The thought spurred Rey forward, she had to save them from themselves. And people say Omegas can’t control their emotions.

Ignoring Poe’s distasteful invading smell, and the combined aura of danger that roll off the men in waves, Rey ran over to the door, slipping down under Ben’s arm and spraying air freshener right into their faces. 

The pair broke off into coughing fights, shielding their eyes from the chemicals. Rey took the chance to shove Dameron into the hallway by his shoulder, slamming the office door and turning the lock into place. 

“What the hell?” Ben coughed, his voice more controlled, more human. He rubbed at his eyes, blinking experimentally making sure he wasn’t blinded. 

“I’m so sorry,” Rey said, dropping the canister and taking Ben’s face in her hands. His eyes were red, but he could keep them open. Rey had accidentally spritzed herself in the face with Febreze enough times to know it wasn’t life threatening, just a bad habit from working long hours and choosing sleep over a shower. “I didn’t know what to do- are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” he said, running a hand through his dark hair. “But we need to get out of here. Now.” 

“But what about Holdo? What about rehearsal tomorrow?” Rey asked, all her responsibilities falling on her like a load of bricks. 

“I’ll deal with Amilyn,” he said quickly, grabbing his coat from his office chair and swinging it on. Rey tried not to notice all the muscles in his arms as he completed the action. How’d she like to snuggle up against the expanse of his chest and listen to his heartbeat. Damn it. At this rate she was going to have to Febreze herself in the face. “She’ll understand.” 

Ben threw a backpack over one shoulder and was digging his keys out of his pocket. It was all going so quickly. Rey had been pinned into the couch one moment, the next breaking up an Alpha fight, and now they were leaving to… 

Oh, man she was in over her head. 

“Where are we going?” she asked hesitantly. She sounded more naïve than she would have liked. Ben glance dup at her, dark brown eyes latching onto her own hazel gaze. She could see sweat on his forehead, fingers gripping his keys so tightly she thought he might bend the carabiner.

“My place? Unless you prefer your own apartment?” the words seemed forced, as if he was thinking very carefully about each syllable. 

“No, your place is fine,” Rey said, her cheeks flushed. She should be gathering her things and fixing her clothes. She should be in a hurry to go to Ben’s apartment to get fucked out of her mind. 

Her throat felt thick, and her heart fluttered. Her palms were slick and she ran them over the thighs of her jeans trying to dry them. 

“Is that… okay?” Rey asked her eyes wandering around the room now, not wanting to land on the hunk of talented Alpha muscle before her. They had been swept up in hormones, she didn’t want to do something she’d regret. Not now, not with the boss of her dream job. Besides, just yesterday he seemed to despise her. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked, voice softening. 

“No, no. Not really. Well, I just- do you… do you want to do this? With me?” her words were less than eloquent, and she stumbled over her own meaning trying to get them out in a timely manner. 

“Is that a trick question?” his brow furrowed. She watched a bead of sweat slide down his face. His fingers trembled, sending a melodic jingle from his keys.

“Sorry, I know we have a time limit here-”

“Yeah, kind of,” he grunted, shifting his weight again in an attempt to hide the obvious evidence of his rut forming in his jeans.

“But I don’t want you to do this because…” 

“Omega.” His tone caught her attention immediately. Rey’s chin snapped up to meet his gaze. His eyes burned into her, his scent spiked filling the room with the aroma of damp soil and sandalwood. She shuddered under the intensity, cramps creeping into her core as her heat took root. She knew what would relieve that pain, she knew what she craved and he did too. “Let me help you.” 

That’s all it took. Rey and Ben were out in the hallway, practically sprinting through the building to the exit door. Ben’s long legs made it hard for her to keep up, especially while lugging her cello at a sprinting pace.

“Let me,” he said, shifting the weight of the instrument off her back and carrying it in one hand. Ben swung the large metal door to the outside open, letting the rush of cool air hit their bodies. It was a delicious sensation and Rey took a step into the cool afternoon air. 

“Rey?” her eyes snapped to the other end of the parking lot. Finn and Rose were sitting on the trunk of Rose’s car talking to- 

Poe fucking Dameron. Honestly, she’d never even spoken with the man before and now he’s going to be everywhere today? 

“Who is-,” Ben asked, coming up behind her. She felt him go rigid, his chest pressed against her back. His free arm came around to hold her across the shoulders, a very clear display of ownership. 

There was going to be so much explaining to do later. 

Rey wanted to savor the feeling of Ben wrapped around her, his Alpha scent sending a blush creeping down her neck. She wanted his skin on hers- but first they had to get out of the fucking parking lot. 

“Sorry! Lots of work to do! Have to go!” Rey shouted, slowly moving away from the group, trying to steer her hormonal Alpha away from another confrontation. She whispered over her shoulder. “Where’s your car?” 

“STAY AWAY FROM HER!” Ben shouted instead, his grip on her shoulders tightening. Rose and Finn were beyond confused, their heads tilted to the side trying to make sense of anything that was happening. “SHE’S MINE!”

“I’ll text you guys later!” Rey laughed nervously, yanking her coat close around her chest trying not to reveal that her undergarments had been torn apart and left in Solo’s office. She grabbed Ben’s wrist and yanked him towards her small sedan parked nearby having given up on finding Ben’s. The man’s eyes were still hooked into Dameron across the parking lot. Rey gently took her cello case from his hand and laid in the back seat. She slipped into the driver’s seat, blasting the AC as high up as it could go. They were so close to heaven, she could taste it. The damnable scent of a storm rolling in filled her head. She needed this, she needed Ben. The man in question had the door to passenger’s seat open, one foot in the car, the other still on the pavement. He was glaring at the Betas and Alpha over the top of her car.

Rey leaned over, whispering a very soft “ _Alpha_.” 

Ben slipped into the car, the door shut behind him, his mouth an inch away from her own. 

“Yes, Omega?” the words fell from his lips easily, as if he wasn’t even thinking about it. Rey closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. If they made it to Ben’s house in time it would be a miracle. 

“Directions.” Rey demanded, throwing the car in reverse. She backed out of the spot and quickly slipped through the parking lot towards the main road. Ben took a brief moment to glare through the window as they passed by where her friends and Dameron were huddled together. Rey gave a weak little wave but doubted they could focus on anything besides the murder in Solo’s eyes as he pressed himself against the window. “Ben- directions.” 

“Left onto main,” he said quickly, moving from the window to nearly cross over the console into Rey’s own seat. His hand was on her thigh, fingers gripping the skin there. He nuzzled into her hair, taking in a deep breath.

“You smell fucking amazing,” he mumbled against her brown locks. Rey refused to look anywhere but the road. It was hard enough driving while in heat, she didn’t need Ben’s distractions. Well, she did _need_ them, just not while she was driving! “I’m going to make you feel so good, Omega.”

Rey took a shaky breath, her fingers clenching the steering wheel in a death grip. Suddenly, he leaned it and she was met by the warm sensation of his lips on her neck. She gasped, stopping a little too suddenly at a red light. A cramp tore at her abdomen, twisting her insides. Even with every vent pointed at her, Rey’s skin burned even hotter. She stared up at the red light in front of her, trying to ignore how Ben’s lips felt against her scent gland. How his tongue felt as he ran it up her throat. Her fingers dug into the leather of the wheel. 

The light turned green and Rey floored it. 

“Right onto Orchid Dr,” Ben mumbled against her ear, his hand wandered up her thigh until his fingers hovered over her clit. Rey resisted the urge to close her eyes and lose herself in the sensation of his hands on her body. She refused to even blink, her knuckles white as they gripped the steering wheel. _We can’t fuck if we’re dead in a car wreck_ she told herself. 

Rey flicked her turn signal on and turned down the road Ben had instructed. She was thankful that the speed limit was lower as they reached a more residential part of the city. 

“What’s next?” she asked, her voice coming out weak. 

“You should smell like me,” Ben crooned, nuzzling his face into her neck. He licked at the tender skin on her neck, sending a shiver through her whole body. “So, no one tries to touch you like Dameron.” 

The name came out on a growl, rumbling deep within his chest. 

“I can’t wait!” Rey cried, slipping her car next to the curb and throwing the gear into park. She went for her seatbelt, shaking hands trying to release the buckle only for Ben’s larger ones to free her from her bondage. He leaned his entire body over the console, feet at the passenger window and his head nearly through the sunroof. He was way too big to be moving around Rey’s tiny sedan like this, but hormones don’t make exceptions.

Sandalwood filled her mind again, calming her nerves and loosening the cramps in her abdomen. Everything was going to perfect real soon, _Alpha_ was here. Ben swooped in, sucking at her scent gland with a vicious appetite. Teeth scraped against her skin and the woman’s gasp twisted into a moan as the pain brought her body closer to her goal. To a knot. 

Rey settled into the intoxicating hormones her Omega body provided, sleepily holding onto Ben as he thoroughly licked every inch of her neck and collarbone. By the time he pulled away her skin was decorated with fresh blooms of purple like wildflowers in a field. He admired his handwork, placing a kiss under her jaw and whispering a soft “mine” into the flesh there. 

Ben slipped his hands underneath her, lifting her out of the driver’s seat and settling them both on the passenger’s side with Rey held firmly in his lap. Rey reveled in this new vantage point. She could feel Ben’s erection underneath her, the sheer of size of it seemed daunting but the wetness in her panties seemed to only grow as she wiggled on top of him. He groaned at the movement, latching his mouth onto her neck again, sucking on her scent gland and sending shivers of pleasure through to the tips of her toes. 

“You’re a dirty little Omega, aren’t you?” Ben growled against her skin, his fingers gripping her hips closer to him. “Getting fucked on the street in the middle of the day.” 

Rey could only whimper, her mind long ago deciding not to care about where they were. All she could focus on was the lips on her neck and the hardness beneath her. She grinded against Ben’s lap, desperate for his touch, for any sensation that would cool the heat boiling within her. Ben reached down, yanking up the lever on the side of the seat. They fell backwards as it reclined, hitting the backseat with a soft thud. Before Rey could appreciate her place hovering above Ben’s body, he had flipped them over. His lips never left her neck, sucking desperately on her gland like a man dying of thirst. His hips bucked against hers, and Rey sunk into the upholstery of the passenger’s seat savoring every moment being underneath his weight. 

“Oh, Alpha,” she murmured, more to herself than anything. However, the soft whisper caught Ben’s attention. She could smell his scent spike, the soothing scent of sandalwood, but mixed with something sharp. Like the wick of a candle that had just been blown out. 

Oh God, she was going to mate with her boss in her car on some fucking random street. 

Rey caught the top of her pants and quickly wiggled out of them. There was no time to waste, not now. Not after she made up her mind. Ben attacked the freshly exposed skin, kissing and licking at the tender flesh of her hips. Her pants never even made it all the way off. Her jeans were tangled around her ankles and there was no room or time to think about fixing it. Ben yanked panties down, the poor piece of fabric was rendered useless now, drenched in the juices of her quickly impending heat. Without missing a beat, Ben leaned and down and licked her clit. Rey jumped, grabbing onto his shoulders at the unexpected sensation of his warm, wet tongue. He looked up at her, his lips wet. They locked eyes, panting in the cramped space of the passenger’s seat. 

Then Ben’s pants were around his thighs, and he was against her again, his lips on her neck and his cock pressing against her opening. Rey wrapped her legs around his waist as he thrusted into her. There was no time for gentleness, not when a heat or a rut is triggered. There is only sweat and friction. 

Rey’s eyes were closed, her nails digging into Ben’s back, as she tried to hang on to him. He pounded into her over and over again and she lost her words. She could feel something leave her lips- moans, soft prayers of “Alpha,” but nothing voluntarily. Her mind was in her cunt, lost to the sensation of having an Alpha rut into her. 

It was like nothing else she had felt before. He was enormous and filled her completely. She felt she might shatter from his violent love, but that she would enjoy every moment of it. Rain soaked earth filled her mind, and she longed for each powerful thrust into her, and whined every time he pulled out again. 

It was quick, a bumbling, desperate session necessitated by hormones. Ben’s fingers rubbed at her clit and it took a matter of minutes before she was screaming with her climax. Ben held onto her, pounding through her peak, extending the rolling sensation pleasure that passed through each cell of her body. He followed not long after, thrusting into her one more time before groaning against her skin and spilling inside of her. 

Rey licked her lips, ready to feel the filling sensation of his knot blocking her up to seal in his cum, but was disappointed as he pulled out before it could happen. 

She sat up, covered in sweat, every muscle in her body weak. She grabbed the handle in the door just to keep herself up right. 

“What the hell?” she panted, eyebrows pulled together in a little scowl. 

“That was just to buy us some time,” he said, leaning back on his knees, and adjusting his pants back onto his waist. His toned seemed calm and collected, as if he had just fucked his frustrations out. Which, Rey supposed, he had. After buttoning his slacks, he opened the passenger door, slipping and jogging over to the driver’s side. 

Rey blinked. Trying to figure out what just happened. As she awkwardly wiggled her jeans back on (which was no easy task in a car, covered in sweat), she tried to remember all the steps they’d taken to get here. They’d gone to rehearsal, it went terrible, she went to Ben’s office, they made out, Poe happened… 

Did she miss something?

Ben slid into the driver’s seat, stiffly yanking the seat belt across his broad chest. Rey’s keys were still in the ignition, and before she knew it they were pulling away from the curb and down the street. 

Rey pulled the passenger’s seat up right, and tried to find a place in the car to look that wasn’t Ben Solo. Her heat was still pounding from having him inside of her and now she felt like she was being driven by an Uber or something. The radio was switched off, which made the whole ordeal even worse. Maybe she would have felt less weird if God is a Woman was playing. Or maybe not, that could be a hell of a lot worse. 

Finally, Rey couldn’t bear to just stare at the mounds of orange and brown leaves piled up outside and abruptly turned to Ben. 

“So, like, do you not want to do this, or something?” She wished she sounded less like a petulant teenager, but it was hard to think with her heat clouding her mind. 

“Rey,” he pulled to a halt at a stop sign and turned to look at her. He placed a large hand on her upper thigh, his dark eyes locking with hers. His full lips, red and raw from desperate kisses, pulled into a small all-knowing smirk. “Like I said, that was to buy us some time. I’m taking you to my apartment so I can give you the fucking of your life.” 

Rey blinked. Her body smoldering from his cool, Alpha tone. 

“Okie dokie.” Only she wished she had said anything else.


	4. City of Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the long time between updates. This chapter is shorter, but I wanted to get it out. Thank you for all of your comments, I realized I've probably been very rude not replying to them so I'm going to start showing how much I care about these comments on this chapter. I do care about everything you have to say about this story and your excitement gives me life. 
> 
> Enjoy!

By the time Ben had pulled up to his apartment Rey was thrown into another round of cramps. Her body wanted his knot and did not appreciate being tricked like that. She bit down on her lip, trying to ride through the painful wave of cramping and heat that rolled through her body. Every muscle ached, and her skin burned. When Ben finally put the car in park and yanked the key out of the ignition she thought she might faint. She went to open the door but found Ben already opening it and reaching inside. He slipped a hand under her knees and one around her waist and lifted her out of her car like she weighed nothing at all. She would have commented on how ridiculous it was to be picked up like that, and something along the lines of “Oh wow Solo I didn’t know you lifted” but her hormones simply did not have time for such unnecessary nonsense. 

Immediately she pressed her face into his shirt, letting the soothing scent of sandalwood calm the fire burning inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to his scent gland, trying to fill her mind completely with his smell. She flicked her tongue against the flesh of his neck and he stumbled going up to the steps. 

“Careful,” he growled, righting himself and running the rest of the way up to his door. Ben gently set her down to fish his keys out of his pocket. While her feet may have been on the ground, her face never left the crook of his shoulder. Straining on the tips of her toes, Rey continued to lick and suck at his scent gland, wanting more of his taste in her mouth. She could feel his muscles tense under her touch, and could taste the sweat on his skin. 

“Rey,” he groaned, fighting himself. She was lost in that moment, completely occupied with his taste. It wasn’t until strong fingers gripped her wrist did she surface back to reality. She looked up at him, his teeth clenched together, the keys jingling in his trembling hands. 

“Oh,” she said quietly before hiding her face in his shirt once more. She heard him jam the key into the lock and swing the door open. 

A switch flipped. Ben bent down and hoisted Rey over his shoulder, a large hand gripping her ass to keep her in place over his shoulder. All she could do was grab the back of his shirt and hold on. She watched him kick the front door closed, and tried to take in the details of his apartment as she was carried through it. Her mind didn’t register much beyond the wonderful, all enveloping smell of sandalwood that seemed to radiate from every surface in it. She felt high off it, and like she may overdose any moment.

She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and losing herself in the rocking sensation of being carried through the apartment to the bedroom. Rey was soon yanked from the peaceful bliss as she was hefted off Ben’s shoulder and landed on the mattress, sinking into the dark comforter stretched out on top of it. She blinked and stared up at Solo standing before her. The neck of his t-shirt had been stretched out, revealing the dips of his collarbone and the swell of his chest. He was impossibly tall. Rey knew he had a couple inches on her, but they were always sitting and usually quite a distance away from one another. Here, lying on his bed and staring up at his form she realized just how fucking Alpha he was. He was panting too, his fingers twitching by his sides. She found his eyes and saw them roaming her figure. 

A cool shiver ran down her spine, soothing the heat that was building within her core. She wanted him to look at her, to be completely taken in by the sight of her body. 

She wanted him to lose control and it be because of her. 

Rey ran her tongue over her lips, her mind occupied with a single thought. 

“What are you waiting for, Solo?” she said, her voice coming out as a hoarse whisper. 

Then he was on her, pressing her into the blankets, his mouth desperately sucking at the flesh of her neck. Rey gasped at the sudden contact, quickly clutching to Ben’s back as every sense was bombarded once more with the feeling of him moving against her. She yanked his shirt up, pulling on the fabric until he ripped it over his head and threw it aside. Her hands hungrily spread across the expanse of his chest, feeling every hard muscle on his abdomen. His teeth sunk into the flesh of her neck, nibbling at the skin before traveling somewhere else to abuse. He moved so quickly, trying to cover every inch of her skin in kisses and bites. He came up for air, his dark eyes sparking as they met her own. 

“No more clothes,” it was an order, a deep growl from his chest. Rey immediately began tugging on her sweater, yanking it over her head and freeing her torso to be attacked. Ben kissed and bit at her breast before sucking a nipple into his mouth, rolling it between his teeth. Rey gasped, wrapped her legs around his waist as the sensation of his warm, wet mouth on her skin sent her into overdrive. He moved down kissing down her stomach until he reached the top of her jeans. He growled at the fabric before yanking it off her legs to be abandoned on the bedroom floor. 

Clad in only her soaked panties, Rey still felt unbearably warm. Ben hooked his fingers under the band of her underwear and quickly slipped them off. Only they didn’t join the land of unwanted clothes. He bunched them up in one hand and unabashedly held them to his face and sniffed them. His eyes held hers and Rey felt the slick dripping out of her. 

“These are mine now,” he said, smirking down at her. She nodded, dumfounded by the god like body before her. He dropped down between her legs, hooking her knees over his shoulders before burying his face into her pussy. She gasped, her fingers gripping his hair as he licked every inch of her. He sucked at her clit, sending intense waves shuddering through her body. She was mumbling his name, but with each brush of his tongue it became louder and clearer until she shouting for him. She bucked her hips into his face as she came, riding out her climax while grinding on his chin.

Rey was still gasping for breath when Ben crawled over her, pressing her down into the mattress with his hips. He had removed his pants and they were both now free from their clothes. It felt freeing, being this obscene in the nude. 

Ben caught her lips, hungrily slipping his tongue around her mouth. He was set on claiming every inch of her and Rey couldn’t be more thrilled. 

“Take me, Solo,” she moaned as their lips parted. He grunted, grabbing her shoulders and flipping her onto her stomach. She felt him press against her entrance, stick and hard. Rey licked her lips, ready to take him in. When he thrust inside of her all the air was forced from her lungs. Despite taking him in her car only a little while earlier, she was still surprised by how large he was. Her walls pulsed around him as he sheathed himself completely inside of her. 

“God, Rey,” he panted, his hands gripping her hips as he savored the feeling of being completely enveloped. “You fit me, perfectly.” 

He slowly pulled out and Rey whimpered at the loss of contact until he bucked up inside of her again. 

“Like you were made for me,” he said, thrusting up into her again. He was going slow, letting her adjust to his size. She didn’t want slow. She wanted fast and hard. She raised herself onto knees from her prone position, spreading her legs to allow him better access. 

“Come on, Solo. Take me like an Alpha,” she demanded, her pussy dripping around his cock. He didn’t need to be told twice. No one soft words of reassurance, he was off to the races. He slammed himself into her over and over again, and each time she wanted more. Each thrust built a pressure inside of her that lifted her closer and closer to heaven. He leaned over her, his hips still ramming into her with abandon, to suck at her neck. His teeth grazed her skin before he moved to the nap of her neck, kissing it and licking it as he came closer and closer to the peak. 

Rey would have let him. In that state, half blind from the pleasure of him fucking her, she would have cried for him to bite her- to claim her. He was a worthy mate. He was large and strong, and he would be good to her. Despite the fact that he was her boss and they didn’t exactly know each other beyond work, Rey would have tied herself to Ben Solo in an instant. 

However, he didn’t bite her mating gland. Rey reached her peak, coming on his cock as she screamed his name, and his hips falter, shoving deep within her. His knot ballooned inside, locking him inside her walls. He shook with his climax, and he quickly moved to the side of her neck, his teeth latching onto the skin there before they had a chance to hit their intended target. They waited there for a moment, sweating and shaking as Ben pumped more of his seed inside of her. 

Finally, his teeth released her neck. Rey sighed as warmth filled her womb. Ben lied them on their sides, curling around her body and nuzzling against her neck. 

“You’re perfect,” the words were whispered so quietly, Rey wasn’t sure she was meant to hear them. 

With a knot inside of her, and her Alpha hugging her close Rey felt the happiest she had in a decade. After years of loneliness, she felt like this was just what she needed. 

She was smiling as she drifted off to sleep.


	5. La Passione

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter filled with smut topped off with some fluff. Let me know what you think in the comments <3

The pair did not stay asleep for long. Ben’s knot slowly went down as they napped intertwined in the sheets. The fire within Rey had been satisfied, but only for half an hour at most. The tingling of the bite mark on her neck was delicious. She wiggled against the sheets, her toes clenching as hazy dreams bloomed in her mind. 

When she woke up her skin was hot and her thighs soaked. The familiar sensation of cramps started up again with a vengeance but this time all Rey had to do was utter a single whimper. 

Before she realized what was happening Ben Solo had shot up out of a dead sleep. He had been holding her close to him, her back flush against his chest but now he hovered over her laying kisses along her collarbone. 

“It’s okay, I’m here,” he murmured into her skin. His hand slide down her body, caressing her curves. He cupped her breasts, massaging her nipples before sucking one into his mouth. The warm, wet sensation of his tongue on the sensitive skin was enough to make Rey cry. She didn’t need to be caressed and fawned over. She needed to be fucked into oblivion. Fucked until she couldn’t stand. Fucked until she couldn’t think. 

Ben froze over her, his eyes meeting hers. He sensed her frustration and she didn’t know it if was from having an overly expressive face or from some deep-seated Alpha sense. 

Rey noticed, in that moment with Ben posed protectively over her body, that his arms were trembling. It couldn’t possibly be from his weight, the man looked like he did push ups daily. Her eyes went back to his face and saw a bead of sweat fall down his temple. 

Fucking shit, he was holding back! Now! When she needed it the most and they were finally alone. Rey threw her head back against the covers, her body on fire and her brain too exhausted to understand any of the nuances of the situation. She wanted Alpha dick and she wanted it five minutes ago.

“Solo, I thought I told you to fuck me like an Alpha!” it wasn’t even dirty talk, merely Rey verbalizing her frustrations. However, it must have hit a very ancient nerve in the man because the growl she received in reply was inhuman. He descended on her like a tiger on its prey. His teeth biting at the tender scent gland at the junction of her neck and shoulder. A moan left her lips as the sweet pain filled her mind. Her legs wrapped around his waist, wordlessly begging for his knot. She could feel his erection against her and she felt herself losing control as the Omega inside of her began to take full control. 

Ben sank into her with no warning, filling her up completely in one fluid motion that halted all brain activity. She gasped, and could only stare at the ceiling as he spoke against her neck between bites.

“Is this what my little Omega wants?” he crooned before slowly pulling himself out and thrust back in again. Rey could only squeak in reply as he began moving faster, thrusting deeper and harder with each new jerk of his hips. Rey dug her fingernails into his back, hanging on for the ride as he drilled into her again and again. She clung to him, moaning his name with abandon before even a name was too much for her brain to handle. She could only gasp, her toes curling as she got closer and closer to her climax. Ben bit down on her shoulder hard enough to draw blood and it was enough to push her over the edge. Rey shattered into a million pieces as her orgasm over took her. Her walls clenched hard around him, her nails clawing divots as she screamed through the height of bliss.

He kept going, fucking her through her climax. His hips never stopped, not even for a moment, as she fell apart underneath him. The steady movement and constant presence of his teeth nipping at her collarbone as enough to make it fill like it’d never end. Wave after wave of pleasure smacked into her like the ocean wearing away rocks into sand. She thought she might truly break apart if it went on much longer. Then he paused, and the pleasure came to a head before rippling out. Rey collapsed onto the bed, limp and glassy eyed. 

“You’re not done yet, little one,” Ben growled against her ear. She could feel his lips smiling against her skin. 

Rey managed a weak “huh?” because he had pulled out and flipped her over onto her hands and knees. Her arms shook, and she sank down leaning on her forearms with her ass in the air. 

“You want my knot?” he said, his hands gripping her ass, the head of his swollen cock pressing against her entrance again. 

“Yes!” she whined into the sheets, trying to hide her the scarlet blush dominating most of her face. She was exhausted and sweaty, and wanted nothing more than to take him inside of her again. However, no matter how quiet the plea, her Alpha always hears her. 

He sank in slowly, inch by inch filling her up until she had his whole length deep inside of her again. She panted, her body trembling with the delicious sensation of having her Alpha’s cock calming the fire inside of her abdomen. She had Ben Solo to take care of her heat, a proper Alpha, and it was all she could think about it. His body moving with hers, the warmth of his skin, the sweet sensation of his teeth breaking skin over her scent gland. And his smell, God his smell! Like sandalwood, leather, and sweat. 

His hands gripped her hips as he set their pace. His hips slammed into hers and sent her whole body lurching forward with each thrust. He sped up, an arm wrapped around her middle to keep her place. She returned the movement, grinding down on him trying to fill herself even more than he already had. Rey closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of being absolutely sated. No beta could ever keep up a pace like this, nor fill her up like her Alpha could. She gripped the edge of the headboard to have something to hold on to as her mind chanted its mantra to the unstoppable pace of their hips. 

_Ben, Ben, Ben. Alpha, Alpha, Alpha._

“Oh, Alpha!” she screamed as a second orgasm shook through her already sensitive body. She shuddered, her walls clenching and unclenching around Ben’s cock as she shook from the intensity of the climax. She prepared herself for the sweet sensation of Ben’s knot growing inside of when, instead, she was met with the cold loss of him pulling out. 

Any fatigue she felt before vanished as she spun around. She didn’t even give him a chance to speak before Solo was on his back and Rey was straddling his hips. Her mind was focused on a single thing, and she would get it. An Alpha would never resist giving their Omega what they truly, desperately needed. 

She leaned over, pressing messy kisses along his lips and down his chest. 

“I _need_ it," she whimpered, sitting up her hands reaching beneath her and gripping Ben’s cock. It was still incredibly hard and slick from her own juices. She raised herself up, pressing the head of his cock to her entrance. 

She locked eyes with Ben, is pupils blown back and his hair a sweaty mess falling across his forehead. His tongue slipped out and ran over his lips and Rey couldn’t wait a moment longer. She slowly impaled herself on his cock, slipping down bit by bit and never breaking his gaze. His hands came up, holding her hips and guiding her down on him. 

Rey couldn’t suppress the moan that tore itself from her throat. Her body thrummed with pleasure, her cunt full of cock, and her Alpha’s large hands gently holding her. 

However, she did not throw Ben Solo onto his back to go slowly. 

Rey braced herself, her hands on Ben’s stomach, as she began rising and falling on his cock. Being in control of the pace was both amazing and frustrating work. She managed to hit the special spot inside of her with each stroke, but her exhausted body couldn’t move fast enough to truly burn away her heat.

She whimpered, her eyes shut in concentration and her cheeks flushed as she tried harder and harder to take her pleasure. She felt Ben move and when she opened her eyes he was sitting up, his face looking up into hers and his muscled arms lifting her and pushing her back down again, assisting her in her hard work. 

Her eyes were caught in Ben’s. They pulled her in like a blackhole and she realized she wanted to come on his cock while staring into his eyes. Rey wrapped her arms around his neck, refusing to break their shared gaze as she bobbed up and down on cock over and over. His jaw was tense, like his teeth were being grit together, his dark gaze stayed on her. 

She felt herself getting closer and closer. Ben grunted, his fingers digging deeper in the flesh of her hips. They were close, they were both so close. 

“Knot me, Ben,” she gasped as she slammed down on his cock again and again. “Take me- fill me, Alpha!” 

Her movements staggered as her third orgasm ripped through her body. Ben moaned, his arms wrapping around her tightly as his hips gave a final thrust up. She could feel his warm seed pumping into her, and the cramping pain that had been growing within was snuffed out. Finally, she felt the knot at the base of his cock ballooning inside of her, pressing against her walls and locking the in place. Rey could have giggle from the pure joy she felt. Instead she gave a content sigh and nuzzled against Ben’s neck, laying a kiss on his scent gland. 

He combed his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp as his knot pulsed within her. 

“My sweet Omega,” he whispered into her hair. Rey smiled. If she could live in a single moment forever, this one had to be it. The heavy scent of sex was all around them, and Rey was high off of sandalwood. 

She pressed her face closer into his shoulder, trying to get another lungful of his scent. 

She closed her eyes, her brain hazy in a post coital mist. Her Alpha was wrapped around her, his fingers having moved down from her hair to her back where he traced designs over her spine. 

Rey wanted to feel like this forever. The pure sensation of contentment was addictive in a way she never thought possible.

* * *

The rest of the day went much like the start. Rey and Ben would go at it like a couple of rabbits and then, once his knot had expanded, they’d collapse together and rest. They were at it all through the night, hungry for more of the other’s touch. It wasn’t until morning that the initial desperate calls of their heat and rut began to slowly ebb away. 

When Rey woke up early afternoon sun was streaming through thin white curtains dancing in a breeze blown through the open window. She could hear birds chirping outside and occasionally a car driving down the street. 

She wrapped the sheets around her shoulders, watching the tree limb outside shift in the wind. 

How… normal. After yesterday Rey wondered if anything was going to feel normal again and it was nice to have a moment where she didn’t feel like she was going to vibrate out of her skin unless she got her hands on a cock. 

The door to the bedroom opened, and as if in possession of some sixth sense that always told him exactly what she needed, Ben Solo came in holding a steaming mug of coffee. You know you’ve had a weird day when it’s a surprise to see your boss in clothes rather than the nude. He had a gray t shirt on and black sweatpants. His hair was wet from a shower, and a warm smirk touched his lips. 

He sat on the edge of the bed, offering her the mug with _Chandrila Philharmonic Orchestra_ printed on the side. Rey hesitated, her eyes drawn to the black and white logo of the violin. It was a reminder of the world they had to go back to. The world where things were different. 

Where she was going to have explain _a lot_. Still, she sat up and took it, grateful for the warmth against her fingers. She took a sip. It was impossibly sweet, just how she liked it. 

“How do you know how I take my coffee?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at the man. 

“You made a cup of coffee at the audition in the green room. I remember because I had never seen a human being pour that many Sweet’N Low packs into anything before.” 

Rey giggled and was rewarded with another one of those warm Ben Solo smiles. It sent a fluttering in her chest that made her feel like she was back in grade school. 

“No, truly, it’s absolutely disgusting,” he said, his smirk still glued to his face. 

“Oh, and I’m sure you take yours black,” she said, taking another sip and letting the coffee warm her tired limbs. 

“You got me.” 

They sat for a moment, Rey sipping her coffee and Ben looking out the window. Maybe he was thinking the same thing she had. 

“It’s weird right? How normal trees are?” Rey blurted out. 

“What?” 

Rey’s cheeks flushed as she realized she didn’t exactly get all the thoughts out that she wanted. 

“Like, how life can be so strange but then there’s moments when everything is normal? Like how yesterday was… yesterday and right now there’s coffee,” she raised the mug up, trying to use the visual to help her case but she only felt like she was failing. Still, Ben was watching her, listening to her ramble. There was something in the way he looked at her that made her core burn. He leaned in towards her and she felt slick on her thighs. Her body hungry with want but her mouth still trying to explain her thoughts from before. “Coffee and trees are normal, is what I’m saying. Not that, uh, sex isn’t-”

He leaned over her, plucking the coffee mug from her hand and setting it on the nightstand. His eyes were warm, if not a bit mischievous. 

“It’s just that right now everything feels nice,” she squeaked, staring up into his eyes. 

“I can make you feel even better,” his voice was so deep is seemed to rumble within her own chest. Her body was on fire, the sheets soaked in her own desire. Her mind set on Omega mode once again. “Do you want me to?” 

Rey didn’t answer with words, instead she leaned in catching his lips in a kiss. He kissed her back, slowly seemingly examining every inch of her mouth. He pulled the sheet away from her naked body, and soon replaced it with his own warmth. His erection pressed against his sweatpants and Rey reveled in grinding against him, teasing him through the fabric. 

He gently bit at her lip. 

“Where is your patience, Miss Niima?” he growled, sitting up and throwing his t shirt off and onto the floor. 

“For you? I have none,” she smiled, watching as he pulled down the waistband of his sweatpants. His cock stood at full attention, hard and ready. It made her mouth water. 

Ben leaned in, kissing and nibbling at her neck. Rey moaned as his cock slid into place, the familiar sensation still taking her breath away. Ben descended on her open mouth, kissing her long and slow. Every move he made was agonizingly slow, every buck of hips, every brush of his fingertips. 

Rey didn’t even try to stifle the moans that came from her. Open window be damned, Ben Solo was working her body like an instrument. Playing a slow, sweet ballad with his mouth and his hips. 

When she came it wasn’t with an exhausted scream and a collapse into sweat, but instead with a small gasp and low pleasured moan. 

God, what can’t this man do. He fucked her like an animal the night before, and now he had played music with her body. He had pressed each tender part of her, and gently eased the sleep from her bones with his kisses. 

They had made love and it was a lot scarier. 

His knot grew, and his warm seed flooded inside of her warming her core. Hips buckled for a few moments, his cock pumping more and more cum until finally he collapsed against her. He quickly rolled them onto their sides to keep from crushing her under his weight and pulled the sheet over their bodies to protect from cool breeze wafting through the window. 

Rey watched him, his eyes focused as he fluffed a pillow before sliding it under her head. Was this normal Ben Solo? Coffee and warm smiles, or was the real Solo the hardass at the concert hall? She rarely ever saw him smile at work. His emotions, save for displeasure and frustration, were reserved and hidden away from the public. He was controlling and loud, like most Alphas, and ambitious to a fault. 

But he was also pulling her close to his chest and nuzzling the top of her head, laying kiss after kiss on her hair. The pull to give in to her Alpha was too much. Rey laid her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around him and drifted off again into another satisfied Omega nap.

* * *

“Shower time,” Ben’s voice cut through her lazy dreams. She blinked awake in time to feel him pull away from. Rey shoved her head into the pillows, whining from the lack of contact. She didn’t want him to go away, she wanted him beside her. 

She yelped as he slid his hands underneath her and lifted her out of the sheets. He crawled her body against his chest, and Rey felt another flood of emotion fall over her. She tried to hide the blush creeping across her cheeks but hiding her face against Ben’s neck but the small rumbling chuckle in his chest told her she had failed. 

You can’t blame an Omega for thinking being carried away by an Alpha is titillating- that’s just unfair. 

Ben carried her into the bathroom and set her down on the cold floor as he leaned into the shower and turned the water on. 

Rey took the time to examine herself in the mirror. Her neck was covered in bite marks and bruises, her lips swollen and red from desperate kisses. Overall her face seemed to glow. Usually purple ringed her eyes, but now she looked well rested, her skin was clear, and she looked, well, good. 

An Alpha’s cock does a girl good. 

Steam filled the room and Ben ushered her over to her shower. He held her hand as she stepped in, but she refused to let it go. 

“I’m going to clean up and make some lunch,” he said, his free hand closed over her death lock on his fingers. Her bottom lip pouted forward, her hazel eyes looking up at him and begging for just a moment of his time. 

“Pleeeeease?” she smiled. 

“I’m not falling for that,” he said. “How about this, after lunch I’ll do whatever you like.” 

“Whatever?” Rey asked, millions of nasty thoughts entering her mind. 

“Omega’s choice,” he said, leaning over and planting a kiss on her cheek. 

He left and despite the room feeling colder without him, the stream of scalding hot water as almost a good enough replacement. 

Almost.


	6. Habanera

Rey stepped out of the bedroom, still running a towel over her wet hair. She’d grabbed one of Ben’s t-shirts from his dresser figuring he wouldn’t mind. Rey looked over the apartment. She’d spent the entirety of her time here in bed and she was curious to see how Ben Solo lived. It was a lot like his office: warm and a bit cluttered. It was a nice place, with warm brown bookcases along one wall and large leather couches facing a television that, by the layer of dust on it, wasn’t used often. Rey gazed at the books on the shelf, recognizing a few of the names. Mostly music related, either sheet music or historical texts about composers. 

She peeked over into the kitchen where Ben slid a plate piled high with sandwiches and chips onto the kitchen island. He leaned across the counter, his lips pulled into a warm smile. It felt… domestic. A strange feeling considering their circumstances. Rey told herself it was all the hormones still wreaking havoc on her emotional state and that she shouldn’t think too much about it. 

But the way he looked at her made her feel radiant. 

“I’ll take that,” Ben said, reaching for her towel. She handed it over, taking a seat on a barstool, her stomach rumbling at the sight of food. He started for the bedroom and called over his shoulder. “I went to your car and got some of your stuff. Your phone was dead so I plugged it in- you should probably take a look at it.” 

Rey reached over to where her phone sat near the edge of the counter. She shoved a handful of chips in her mouth as she swiped it open and nearly choked when she saw the wall of notifications waiting for her. They were mostly from Finn and Rose, both asking where she was and if she was okay. She shot off a few replies assuring them that she was alright and not to worry. She considered telling them who was she was with, but they had seen Solo leaning out of her car to snap at Poe so maybe it didn’t need to be said. 

A terrible sensation of dread filled her stomach at the thought of showing up to work. Finn, Rose, and Poe knew what was going on they must have told others. If anything reached the clarinet section then everyone knew and she was screwed. 

Ben reappeared from the bedroom, taking the stool beside her. His fingers settled around a cup of coffee, but he didn’t drink from it. His eyes were fixated on her. 

“You need to eat,” he said, nodding to her plate. 

“Hey, did you tell Holdo or anyone about this? I mean people are going to be asking why we were gone,” Rey said, fiddling with her phone. 

“Holdo knows we’re both on Designation Leave and that’s all she or anyone else needs to know,” he said, finally raising his cup to his lips. 

“Yeah, but what are we going to say? How are we-,” Rey cut herself off. It was a hard question to ask let alone answer and it felt wrong to put him on the spot like that. 

“Don’t worry about that right now,” he said, his voice low and calm. His hand rested on her back, massaging circles between her shoulder blades. Rey felt the tension leave her shoulders. Her Alpha was here, why should she worry? She threw him a small smile before tossing her phone onto the counter and devouring her lunch.

* * *

Her phone wasn’t the only thing Ben had brought inside. Her cello case was sitting in the corner of his living room alongside his own instruments. Rey had to admit her beat up plastic case looked ratty beside actual antiques he had on display. She had slapped stickers on it over the years, mostly to cover cracks from the cheap material slamming against sidewalks and doorways. Stickers with Jakku University’s mascot Reggie the Sand Rat were wrinkled and faded against the black plastic and Rey felt her cheeks flush. After months with the orchestra she should have bought a brand-new case, but there was always something else to buy. She needed new tires last month, the one before that she had to buy concert blacks for performances. It had slipped her mind but now, with it sitting beside Solo’s maple wood and ebony instruments, she felt more self-conscious than ever. She quickly opened the case, hefting her cello out of it. 

“You know we have extra cases, right?” Ben said, picking up one of the violins from its stand. It was a gorgeous instrument, and the way he held it to his chin made him like look like a renaissance painting. All hard lines and black hair. It was as if he had read her mind, that or he thought her case was so sad looking he just had to offer a replacement. 

“Oh, I didn’t know.” She blushed, taking a seat in the hardbacked chair positioned beside the collection. There was only one, she guessed Ben Solo didn’t often play duets in his apartment. 

“I’ll get you one tomorrow,” he said, skillful hands on the pegs twisting just enough to get the desired effect. Rey, however, nearly snapped a string at his words. 

“We’re going back tomorrow?” She didn’t mean to sound so pathetic, but it was the truth. They had barely spent two days alone together and it was already back to work. Aren’t heats supposed to last longer than that? It depended on the Omega, of course, and if they had an Alpha nearby to see them through it. Heats could last anywhere from a couple days to an entire week. Before all this Rey had dreaded the thought of a week long heat, but now the idea of being cooped up with Solo for a few more days didn’t seem so bad. There was still so much to think about. She had to talk to Finn and Rose. There was probably a meeting with Holdo to be had, not to mention all the music she had to learn. 

Inside these walls it was calm. It was the scent of sandalwood and coffee. Of arms wrapped around her and lips kissing her neck glands. She didn’t know what would be waiting for her outside, and she was enough of a coward to admit she didn’t want to know. Rey’s eyes flickered to the front door, her lips pulled into a frown. 

There was going to be talk. The first Omega to be in the Chandrila Philharmonic and she’d managed to fuck the concertmaster in only a few months. There was going to be rumors and gossip on the forums and in the rehearsal hall. She didn’t think Holdo would fire her, she seemed like a reasonable woman, but she was certain a lot of people would want her gone. 

“Hey,” Ben’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. He was kneeling beside her, a hand on her cheek. “It’s going to be okay.” 

Rey nodded, attempting a smile. Ben didn’t demand much from her, he took her silent reply and flipped a music binder open. 

They played the rest of the afternoon, mostly practicing their own parts in the “Cool Kid Quartet” music, but occasionally branching out with other songs they knew. Every time Rey tried to trip Ben up playing a random measure of a song, he always caught it. He seemed to know just about every single piece she could remember. Eventually, they started playing their own music. Ben’s fingers would fly rapidly across the neck of his instrument and Rey would slide her bow across her strings, meeting his melody with deeper tones, rounding out the sound. 

It was wonderful. 

By the time the sun had set Rey’s back was sore and her fingers cramped, but she didn’t mind. The music stopped and they looked at one another, knowing that it had to end. Rey quietly slipped into the bedroom hunting for her various clothing items. She pulled on her jeans and despite herself she kept Ben’s shirt on, throwing her sweater on over it. When she stepped out, he had put her cello away and held the case over his shoulder. 

“Do you need a ride to your car?” she asked, remembering they had left Ben’s car at the music hall in the haze of hormones. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll take an uber,” he said, his fingers fidgeting with the strap of her cello case. 

There it was. That post-heat realization that the world still moved. Rey had watched enough romance movies to know it from a mile away. Try as you might, it was always awkward and, in her case, even more so. 

“So, tomorrow-,” he began. Rey’s heart swelled in her chest. She didn’t want to hear him say it, so she rushed in announcing it herself. 

“We’ll just pretend this didn’t happen,” her eyes fell to the floor. It shouldn’t be that hard, right? She’d known Solo for a few months so in the grand scheme of things a couple of days was nothing. Ben was silent for a moment.

“Yeah,” he said softly, his feet shuffling against the carpet. He moved towards the door and Rey followed behind, taking the chance to sneak another peek at his form. 

God, she didn’t want to leave. 

Ben swung the door open and started for her car. The street was quiet, the streetlamps making a soft buzzing noise above them. Rey unlocked her car, holding the backseat door open for him. Ben carefully placed her cello inside. The door slammed shut, echoing across the quiet complex. Rey’s eyes flickered around until they landed on Ben’s face. She gave him a small smile, and wasn’t sure if a hug or a handshake was proper. Why weren’t there heat etiquette books? 

“Thanks,” Rey said, her fingers tangled up in her keys to keep them to herself. 

“No problem.” What a casual way to talk about a rut. Rey opened the door to the driver’s seat. 

“See you tomorrow.” Despite how simple and shallow the conversation was she didn’t want it to end. If she kept talking there was still a chance she could get back inside Ben’s bedroom and hide from the world. 

Ben took a step forward and Rey’s heart jumped into her throat, but he seemed to realize the motion and stopped it. 

“Drive safe,” he said before turning back to his apartment. 

The entire drive home Rey tried to think of anything but Ben Solo but was a complete failure. She turned her radio up, drowning out the buzzing of her mind and all the questions she had forming in her heart.

* * *

Her apartment felt terribly cold. Despite how many blankets she piled on her bed, there was a deep-seated chill in her bones she couldn’t shake. Rey spent most of the night curled in a ball under her mix of throws and comforters until she finally passed out. 

The alarm was not a welcomed sound, nor was the sight of having snoozed it three times already. Rey quickly threw on her clothes, filled a thermos with coffee and enough sugar to make Willy Wonka cringe, and was out the door. 

She knew something was wrong the second she opened the door. Usually the lobby was filled with conversation this early in the morning. Musicians were usually arriving and chatting before finding their spot in the rehearsal hall. It was dead silent and the doors to the hall were closed. 

Fuck. 

Rey quickly went over to the doors, mindful of her instrument on her back. She slid open the door and instantly every eye in the orchestra was on her. Everyone was seated, their instruments at the ready. Rey felt the blood rush from her face. Maybe she was having a terrible dream and she’d wake up and have another go at the morning. 

“Miss Niima,” the low voice alone sent a warmness spreading through her chest. She looked up to find Ben Solo leaning against Holdo’s podium and with a less than friendly expression on his face. 

_Just pretend this didn’t happen._ Too bad she forgot Solo was an asshole before she went all silly for his scent. She should have said _just pretend this didn’t happen and don’t be a dipshit._

“Sorry,” she mumbled as she started across to the room to her spot. She was passing the violin sections when she caught Finn’s worried gaze. _What a great fucking start._ She made it halfway past the viola section before she saw Rose’s face. The girl’s eyes were wide, flickering from Rey’s hand to the door trying to silently tell her something. Rey mouthed “what?” but her question was soon answered. 

“Niima,” Rey froze, looking over her shoulder at Ben. His brow was furrowed, his lips pulled into a stern frown. His eyes hard and cold. “No drinks in the rehearsal hall.” 

“Shit,” Rey looked down at her thermos. She didn’t even get a chance to drink it. She paused, wondering if she could get to her chair to put down her instrument and quickly decided against it, passing back in front of the violas and violins to the door with only the sound of her footsteps to accompany her.

“We don’t have all day!” Solo’s voice called after her. Rey grit her teeth, opening the door just enough to put her thermos outside of the hall. Then she ventured across the same silent expanse in front of Hux who was absolutely beaming at her misery, Finn who was giving her a small smile of support, and Rose who simply held her face in her hands as if she couldn’t bear to watch Rey embarrass herself further. 

Rey fumbled through the rows, awkwardly carrying her cello through the narrow aisles until she got to her chair. It was deadly quiet as everyone waited for her. Solo glared at her, leaning on his elbows over the podium. The others watched, especially the woodwinds, as she clumsily pulled out her cello and slammed her music binder on the stand. 

 

“Alright, let’s continue.” 

Rey shot Rose a look, her lips silently asking _“Where’s Holdo?”_

_“Sick.”_ Rose said, throwing a hand over her forehead to signal a fever. Rey had yet to go through and entire day at the orchestra without Holdo’s watchful but stable presence and of course the first time the woman takes sick leave is today. 

The orchestra raised their instruments and panic set in.

Rey quickly glance over D’acy’s shoulder to determine what page she should be on. The section leader graciously turned around and whispered a quick _“Habanera.”_

Rey tore through her binder, settling on the right page just as everyone raised their instruments to play. 

Of course it was cello heavy. _Of fucking course it was._ It couldn’t have been something she could catch her breath in. He wouldn’t let her have a fucking moment she just wished she knew why. 

She drew her bow and quickly set to work trying to tune her instrument while occasionally strumming out a note. By the middle of the piece she was sufficiently tuned, but had barely looked at the piece. Her eyes kept flying to her neighbors trying to figure out where they were while miming with her bow. Her eyes occasionally moved up to the podium trying to gauge if Solo could see her faking. He didn’t seem to look her way at all, which made her even more frustrated. 

Rey finally managed to get on track with the rest of the cellos for the last half of the final page of the aria. Once the final note was played, she slumped back into her chair, her face covered in sweat and her brain hazy from lack of caffeine. 

“Let’s try this one more time for our friend in the cello section,” Solo said, without even bothering to toss a glance her way before raising his hands and throwing the entire orchestra back into the piece. Her ears burned, her bow squeaking until the strength of her grip. 

By the end of the morning Rey was positively sick of _Carmen._ Once they were allowed to lower their instruments, she ran into the hallway to pick up her lukewarm coffee in an attempt to salvage her day. She sat against the wall, trying to appear as small as possible as the rest of the orchestra filed out, she’d already gotten enough attention to last a lifetime. Rose soon followed, sitting beside her in the hallway, laying a comforting hand over hers. 

“Rey, are you okay?” she asked, seemingly just as shocked and confused as Rey was. 

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, taking a sip of her coffee. All the sugar had sunk to the bottom and it had the stagnant taste of cooled off coffee that was never meant to be iced. 

“Listen, I thought y’all… you know,” Rose said, keeping her voice low as a gaggle of flute players walked by. 

“We did!” Rey said, not even ashamed to admit it. Not now. She needed to talk to someone about this and try to figure out what the hell was going on.

“Okay then what the fuck was all that?” 

“I don’t know!” Rey cried, leaning her head against her useless thermos. All day temperature control her ass. She was going to send a strongly worded email to her cup manufacture, maybe she’d get a free mug. Rey certainly needed a win. “We agreed to pretend like it didn’t happen and I guess he fucking ran with it.” 

“I’m sorry, Rey,” Rose said, scooting closer and wrapping an arm around the girl’s shoulders. Rey felt terrible small in that moment. What had she done that warranted that kind of behavior? She felt humiliated and exhausted and all she wanted to do was kick off her shoes and curl up-

Well, not in Ben Solo’s fucking bed that was for sure. 

She wanted to be successful as a musician because of her skill, not because she smelled good to someone in a position of power. There was so much riding on this- her financial future, her value as an artist, setting precedents for other Omegas trying to break through similar barriers. Yet, Ben Solo seemed to determined to discourage her. Stupid fucking Alphas, they fuck you and make you a sandwich and then make your life a living hell when you’re not constantly on their cock. 

“It’s okay. I guess I don’t understand Alpha work dynamics,” Rey muttered bitterly, watching a shy Poe Dameron slip past them as quickly as humanly possible. Alphas, what was their damage? She couldn’t blame Dameron he was simply a bystander and who could blame him for not wanting to be around her? First Solo threatens him, then he makes it clear that Rey is some worthless fuck up. No one in the orchestra probably wanted to be around her right now. 

“Knot-brains every last one of them,” Rose said, her eyes following Dameron as he turned the corner. Thank God she had Rose. “But Rey I have to ask, was Solo as much of a controlling asshole in bed as he is-”

“Tico, Niima.” 

The pair’s heads shot up. Ben Solo stood beside the open rehearsal hall door. “Quartet rehearsal starts in five.” 

He vanished behind the door and Rose’s death grip on Rey’s hand loosened. 

“Do you think he heard me?” Rose asked, the color drained from her face. Rey patted her friend’s hand, thankful that at least some of today’s humiliation was being shared.

“I don’t know how he couldn’t have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments make me write faster. Also bug me on tumblr at halfwaythroughit


	7. Champagne Aria

The afternoon went about as well as Rey thought it would. Solo was ruthless, drilling through each song and not biting back any criticism he had for any of them- especially for Rey. The girl kept her head down, eyes firmly planted on her music binder. She didn’t want to look at his face and see the softness beneath the hard angles, or the part so his neck she had kissed right when he brought her to the brink of pleasure. 

All of her frustrations she fueled into her music. Her calloused fingers flew across the strings, her head snapping with each sharp pull of her bow. They ran the song again and again, and by the fifth run she was playing Take Me to Church with her eyes closed. For a brief moment, she forgot about the world around her, and all the Alpha and Omega bullshit she was dealing with and let the music carry her. Her passion was music, and that was something that no one would take away from her. Despite being sweaty, tired, and starving Rey drew out the last note with a small smile on her lips. She had nailed it. Every note, every crescendo and every soft piano note. She opened her eyes, high off the song and found Solo staring at her. 

For a moment, she thought she saw something in his eyes. The familiar warmth she’d seen alone in his apartment shut away from the rest of the world. And just like that it was gone in a flash, replaced with patented scowl. 

“Niima, you were late on measure 32,” he said, quickly turning to Finn and Rose to criticize their performances as well. Rey’s mouth hung open. No way. There was no way. She’d been perfect, she _knew_ it. She slumped in her chair, feeling more beat down in that single moment than she had all day. 

“I want it perfect tomorrow,” he said, looking at his three charges. Rey looked up unable to hide how absolutely miserable she felt. If Solo noticed he gave no sign of it, simple turned back to his music and flipped through his binder. “Let’s move on to The Shape of You.”

* * *

When rehearsal wrapped Solo quickly packed his violin grabbed his binder and was out the door before anyone could attempt at pleasantries with him. Not that any of them wanted to, not after today. The three of them sat in their chairs, instruments still in hand and looked at one another. 

“Uh… what the fuck is going on?” Finn asked, scooting to the edge of his seat. 

“Solo is more of an asshole than we ever thought possible,” Rose said bluntly slamming her binder closed. Rey leaned her head against the neck of her cello and closed her eyes. 

“I really thought…” Rey stopped herself, scowling at her inner thoughts. She didn’t know what she thought, but whatever it was she was about to say she couldn’t bring life to it by speaking it. It would only hurt more. Her eyes snapped open and fixated on her friends. “Hey, would you guys be up for a drink? I think I could use one.” 

“There’s two-dollar wells at Maz’s on Thursdays!” Rose said perking up at the suggestion. Finn chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. 

“Can Poe come too? I promised I’d hang out with him after rehearsal,” he said shyly. Rose and Rey turned to him, a million questions on their mind. 

“Since when are you two a thing?” Rose asked, nudging him with an elbow. 

“We’re not! It’s new, it’s something we’re trying out,” Finn said, his cheeks darkening with a deep blush. Rey decided to keeper her previous interaction with Poe to herself and offered him a smile. 

“If he wants to, sure.” 

“Awesome, thanks guys. I think you two are going to like hanging out with him. He’s really funny,” Finn said standing and popping his case open to place his violin inside. 

“Really, I wouldn’t have him pinned as a jokey kind of guy,” Rey said, throwing open her case and leaning her cello into it. 

They gathered their things, slowly making their way to the exit.

“Now I don’t want to get my hopes up, so Rey are you planning on like one sad drink and then going home or are we like… you know getting smashed?” Rose looked up her hopefully, wiggling an eyebrow. Rey tilted her head to the side, thinking about it as they pushed through the rehearsal room doors into the lobby. She glanced down the hallway that led to the private practice rooms the admin offices. She could smell sandalwood wafting down the corridor. 

“Smashed,” she said, as if announcing a new law. Rose cheered and Finn smiled, his glance quickly turning back down to his phone where he rapidly punched in another text. Rey smiled at the smirk that pulled at Finn’s lips, and the faint blush still seated on his cheeks. She was glad someone was still love struck in all this. 

Wait, let’s not use the word love. That’ll only make things even messier. 

They walked out into the parking lot and towards Finn’s car. He had agreed to be their designated driver for the night for which she was grateful. She peeked into his backseat and found it overflowing with clothes, books, and god knows what else. 

“Sorry it’s a little messy!” Finn said, the understatement of the century. “You can put your cello back here.” 

He popped the drunk only for the overfilled space to spit out a basketball onto the pavement. 

“Oh damn, I really thought I had cleaned the trunk out.” Finn said, propping a foot up to stop the ball. 

“Maybe you can put your cello in your car?” Rose said, hanging out of the passenger’s seat, her viola tucked into the floorboard. 

“Yeah…” Rey said absentmindedly. She didn’t really want to stick her cello in her car to sit overnight, especially in a parking lot in the middle of the city. She gnawed her bottom lip. “I think I’m going to live it inside the rehearsal hall, maybe I can tuck it in a closet for the night.” 

“Smart,” Finn said, shoving the basketball inside the trunk and slamming the top closed before it had another chance to escape. 

“I’ll be right back,” Rey called over her shoulder, already rushing up to the doors. She pushed through them and turned down the hall to the offices only to run right into someone. 

Not anyone, of course. Life couldn’t cut her any slack today. 

Ben Solo looked just as surprised to see her as she did him. He was dressed down from rehearsal, his button up shirt replaced by a t-shirt and his khakis swapped for joggers. Rey took a step back, trying not to let the sudden strong scent of sandalwood mess with her mind. 

“Rey-” he started, his hand twitching as if to reach for her before settling back to his side. He tried to wear his scowl but it looked bizarre given his attire. “Niima, do you need something?” 

Rey cleared her throat, her eyes falling to the floor before she reminded herself, she was a strong, independent Omega and raised them again to his face. 

“I- uh,” she swallowed her emotions and tried to be professional. “Can I leave my cello here? Just for the night?” 

“Um, yeah of course, you can put it in my office,” he said, his eyes narrowing a little trying to figure out why she would make such a request. His scent spiked, sandalwood and leather clouding her mind. She wished he would just ask her flat out, the question was written all over his face. 

“I’m going out for drinks, Finn’s DD, and I didn’t want to leave it in my car overnight.” Not again. He took a step back, motioning for her to make her way to his office. 

“Of course.” 

She walked down the corridor, mindful of Solo behind her. So, they were really pretending like none of it every happened. Still, she was getting whiplash from all the different shades of Ben Solo. Asshole Concertmaster, caring attentive Alpha, needlessly cruel rehearsal director, and now understand colleague and all within a week. 

Honestly, it was impressive. 

The door to his office was propped open and she took a deep breath before walking in. She didn’t fail to notice that Ben hung around in the hall, probably afraid to be in such close quarters with her again. 

Her eyes took in the wooden shelves and warm lighting of his office. The warm glow came from a lamp set next to the couch, pointed down as if he had been reading. A pile of blankets were stacked on the couch with pillows arranged at one end. Rey pulled her cello case off her shoulder and saw a backpack left on the floor.

She raised an eyebrow, but quietly leaned her cello against his desk and stepped back out into the hallway. 

“Sleeping on the job?” she asked with a playful smile, nodding to the couch. Ben’s face paled and she felt her stomach drop. 

“I can’t sleep at my apartment,” _because of you_. The words left unsaid were as loud as if they had been screamed. Rey gripped the hem of her sweater, playing with a loose thread. 

“Oh,” she said, kicking herself for even bringing it up. She should have known it was because of her, but after today she couldn’t think of Ben Solo having anything but unbridled contempt for her. “Well, um thank you.” 

“Next time consider actually practicing at home instead of drinking,” he said, his words sharp. 

Rey screwed her face up, struggling to keep the nasty comments at bay. She took a breath and looked up at his face, a stone mask. 

God, she wanted to kiss him and punch him at the same time. 

“Duly noted.” 

Rey turned on her heel and hurried out to Finn’s car, throwing herself into the back seat. 

“Go, I needed a drink three hours ago.”

* * *

Maz’s was packed. However, Poe had arrived before them and saved them a small table in the corner. He waved them over, a large grin on his face as he saw Finn approach. 

Rey couldn’t help but smell all the different Alphas in the room. They smelled good, but nowhere near as good as Solo had. Like if someone had tried to make a perfume from Ben’s scent and all they could come up with was dull, artificial. Still, she was determined to forget all about him. In fact, instead of greeting Poe first she slipped over to the bar and handed the bartender her credit card. Yes, she would be opening a tab, and yes she would be spending far too much on it. 

She returned to the table sipping on a cherry vodka sour. Poe greeted her but they neglected to hug, a good choice.

They talked about the orchestra, and Poe spilled all the gossip from the brass section. Finn was right, he was funny and irresistibly charming. If Rey had any taste she’d probably be into him, but alas her heart seemed to yearn only for the worst of men. Rey was four vodka doubles in when the question finally came.

“So. Solo?” Rose asked, leaning forward.

“Okay guys, let me fucking tell you about Ben goddamn Solo,” Rey said, slamming a hand on the table. Poe and Finn jumped to attention, leaning in to hear every detail. Her whole body felt warm, and she was ready to tell everyone _everything_. 

“He fucked me then left me high and dry like the stupid Alpha he is- no offense Poe,” she said, her words slamming together as her mind worked faster than her lips. 

“None taken,” Poe smiled, his hand wrapped around Finn’s. 

“I’m going to dance!” Rey shouted, shoving off from the table and making her way to the dance floor. “Come on Rose!” 

The pair wedged themselves into the space beneath the speakers blaring loud enough to disrupt any complicated thoughts. They had been dancing for only a short time when Rey met eyes with an Alpha across the floor. He was tall and broad, with blonde hair. He smirked at her, his eyes raking up and down her body. She shivered, drifting away from Rose towards the Alpha. However, as she got closer his smirk dropped and his face contorted into a look of disgust. He turned away from her and moved through the crowd towards the bar. 

Okay. Weird. 

Rey tried not to let it faze her, and kept dancing and it was only a matter of time before she locked eyes with another Alpha. He started dancing close to her his dark eyes suggestive, and then he paused, he wrinkled his nose and turned away. 

What the hell? 

Rey marched back to the table, throwing herself in a chair oblivious to how close Poe and Finn’s faces were. They quickly put space between themselves as she began to complain. 

“Not a single Alpha will dance with me, what the hell is that about?” Rey complained, swishing the melting ice around in her empty glass. 

“It’s your smell,” Poe said casually. 

“My what?” 

“You smell like Solo, it’s pretty strong to be honest. Like ‘just mated’ strong,” he said, taking a swing of beer. 

“Okay, but we didn’t mate,” Rey pointed out, leaning across the table as if that would further her talking point. 

“I know, but I’m just telling you what I smell,” Poe shrugged. 

Rey slumped in her chair and Finn and Poe turned back to their whispered conversation. She was too fidgety to just sit there and if no Alpha would dance with her, she’d have to drink her sorrows away even more. 

She downed three more drinks, each with a different liquor. Rey hadn’t drank like that since college, and the whole world was becoming slower and brighter with each minute. 

She danced, she drank, she laughed at something Rose said. Then she was cold, standing on the bar’s patio with Finn’s hand on her shoulder. 

“Rey, it’s time to go. Do you need to close out?” she tried to focus on his face but it kept fucking moving. She nodded, vaguely aware that the bartender still had her credit card and she didn’t want to pay that stupid fee for forgetting it. Poe had Rose slumped against his side, already leading it out through the bar to the exit. Evidently, they both had a little too much to drink. 

“I have to show Poe where I parked, can you close out by yourself?” he was speaking slowly enough that Rey understood. She nodded, the motion sending her vision swirling. “Good, I’ll be right back.” 

Rey shuffled through the bar, the music a distant pulsing beneath her feet. She moved to the bar where the bartender had changed sometime during the night. Oh no, she drank through a shift change that’s not good. 

“Niima,” she said, leaning heavily on the wood of the bar. The girl tapped the name into the computer, and Rey was fixated on her sparkling long manicured nails. Wouldn’t it make it hard to type with those? And yet here she was doing it like a pro- go you bartender girl. “Looks like you’re already closed for the night.” 

The girl smiled at her as if it was a “Yay, all done” kind of deal. It was not all done, she was missing her fucking credit card. Rey blinked. She could just walk to Finn’s car and deal with the identity theft in the morning, but that’s not the professional adult thing to do. 

And she was a professional adult, no matter how unbelievable sloppy drunk she was. 

“No wait, I didn’t-,” her struggling words were soon cut off by a large hand on her shoulder. 

“Come on time to go, it’s taken care of,” a low, familiar voice said. Rey leaned into the warmth behind her, her face resting against a soft sweater pulled taunt over a muscled chest. They smelled amazing, like that incense her roommate burned back at uni. Teakwood? Cherrywood? 

She leaned against him, an arm wrapping around her shoulder leading her outside of the bar and into the chill of the night. They walked down the sidewalk before crossing the street where Finn was waiting beside his car. 

She remembered being guided into the backseat, and then waking up just enough for Poe and Finn to walk her up to her apartment door. She stumbled inside, conscious just long enough to lock the door, kick off her shoes, and faceplant into her comforter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! Tell me what you think in the comments <3


	8. The Chain

Rey was woken up not by the blaring of her alarm but of the sudden queasiness building in her stomach. She jumped out of bed and managed to stumble into the bathroom in time to throw up thirty dollars’ worth of drinks into the toilet. Exhausted, she slumped back into the bedroom and collapsed back against the sheets. Her body was exhausted, her stomach still overcome with nausea, and her head throbbing. She squinted at the bright red letters of her alarm clock. It was still hours until she needed to get up. 

She laid in bed, staring at the ceiling trying to will away all the thoughts crowding her head. There were the primitive ones- stomach hurt, brain hurt, maybe dying? But also, the emotional thought bubbles that rose to the top of the mental soup. 

Her memory was hazy, but she still remembered how those Alphas’ looked. Sneering at her as if she had tricked them. They didn’t want to have anything to do with her because… 

Because she smelled like Ben Solo’s property. That was some old-world bullshit. 

Sighing, she slipped out of bed walking through her dark apartment to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water and chugged it down faster than it had left the faucet. Rey looked to the clock again as if the time would have magically zipped forward only to find the little red numbers glaring back her. 

**3:37**

Ug. 

The stink of her own body hit her, and it wasn’t the claim Ben had left on her skin. She had slept in her clothes from the day before and her nose still stung with the scent of a binge drinking vomit session. She looked through her pockets and her wallet, groaning as she realized she left her card at the bar. Yet another task to do today. Perhaps it was for the best, after another day at work she’d need another round of drinks. 

After some time in a steaming hot shower Rey decided that if she couldn’t sleep, she might as well start the day. She threw on jeans and a t-shirt, slipped into a cardigan that hadn’t spent the evening in a bar, and called an Uber for the music hall. 

One might think arriving to work hours early and waking up your boss so you can scratch out some cheesy wedding pop songs would be considered rude. Well, considering the circumstances Rey didn’t care much whether it was impolite. In fact, if she kept Solo awake with a constant repeat of a cello solo rendition of Sweet Caroline- so be it. She marched down the dark hallway, trying to clear her mind of any Omega-ish thoughts. 

_Don’t think about how good it smells in here, don’t think about how he looks, don’t think about him at all. He’s an asshole and your boss and that is it._

Except her well laid out plan of ignoring her own brain evaporated the second the music hit her. 

Rey froze, simply listening to the notes drifting down the hallway. Solo’s office door was propped open, the warm glow of his lamp spilling into the dim hallway along with his song. She stood in the dark of the corridor listening to the plucking of the strings. It wasn’t a piece she had heard before, but something that seemed uniquely him. It started out harsh, thick strings thumping against the violin before his bow slid over them making them sing in harmony. It was like a siren’s call. Rey felt the music pull at her chest, the smell of sandalwood wrapping around her mind. She wanted to watch his hand fly over the fingerboard, his brow creased in concentration as the muscles in his back flexed to yank the bow into place. 

It was perfect. Even playing in the early morning hours for no one to hear, Ben Solo was a master. 

Rey drifted towards the door, leaning against the doorframe to peer into the room. He was shirtless, his black joggers low across his waist. His back was to her, his shoulders on full display as he fell deeper into his music. She watched him for a moment, listening to the sad slow pull of his song until the bow hit the wrong note. Rey watched every muscle in his pale expanse of back tense. 

Of course, he smelled her before she made a sound. 

“Niima,” he said, twisting around to look at her. Rey was surprised to see his cheeks flushed a deep red as his eyes met hers. He held his violin awkwardly over his chest as if he could hide behind the small instrument. If he was going to say anything else, it was too late now as a silence settled between the two musicians. Confronted with the Alpha’s embarrassment Rey felt blood creep up to her own cheeks. She quickly adverted her gaze as if she hadn’t seen every inch of his body already. 

“I thought I’d take your advice and practice,” she said, brown eyes fixated on the floor. 

“I figured you’d be asleep after all the drinking you did,” he said. Rey considered telling him the truth for a moment. That she felt terrible, had a horrific hangover induced headache, and that she’d kill a man for a cup of coffee. Instead, she told him what he’d want to hear. 

“I only had one drink and then went home. Early bird gets the worm, right?” she looked to his face and saw a flicker of something pass over his eyes. It was gone as quickly as it appeared. 

“Well, don’t let me stop you.” Ben stepped to the side, clearing a straight path to where her cello still sat leaning against his desk. Rey lurched forward, quickly grabbing it by the handle and marching back to the door. 

“Uh, thanks,” she threw over her shoulder, avoiding looking at his still very bare chest, before marching down to a practice room.

* * *

It was nice to practice alone for once. She spent most of her rehearsal trying to match Finn and Rose or surviving the barraging insults from Solo and it was rather pleasant to play and hear only the single part of a song knowing later all the pieces would fall in place. Rey ran threw every song one by one but paid a little extra time to the songs she liked more. The Chain by Fleetwood Mac was stuck in their binder even though certainly no one would request it played at a wedding. Rumors wasn’t exactly an album for happy newlyweds.

Rey closed her eyes, feeling the music vibrate through her body. She remembered listening to the song on a cassette so many years ago. She’d worn it down playing it in her portable tape player until the tape had snapped from being rubbed thin. The drums had beat in time with her heart and it was the first time she’d felt connected to music as more than something to just listen to. 

It was a much-needed reminder of why she was here. 

Rey hummed along with her cello, her mind filling in her own playing with the recording’s memory. 

“Hey,” Rey snapped her bow down, whipping around her chair at the sudden intrusion. Solo stood in the doorway as startled by her reaction as she was by his presence. He was dressed for work now, a white dress shirt tucked into black slacks. He was holding a small carrier with two cups of coffee and a small white bag. “I thought you might want some breakfast.” 

Rey blinked, her eyes flickering from the steaming rising from the cups to Ben Solo’s face. She wasn’t sure if it was a trap or not, or some kind of test? Maybe she was playing so poorly he no longer had insults and was bribing her to stop. 

Still, it was coffee and she couldn’t say no to that.

“Okay,” she said cautiously, standing up and leaving her cello behind in the practice room. She followed him into his office, grabbing a cup from the carrier after he set it on his desk. She took a sip and immediately gagged. 

“Oh, that’s mine,” Ben said quickly, handing her the other cup and taking the offending black coffee away. She took a sip from the new cup and it was perfectly teeth rotting sweet. Ben watched her for a moment before quickly shoving the white bag towards her. “You should eat.” 

“How do you know I haven’t already?” Rey answered, quirking an eyebrow up at him. 

“Have you?” 

“No.” 

“Then eat.” 

Rey sighed, snatching the bag from his hand and was surprised by the weight of it. She set her coffee down and opened it to find it full of various types of muffins, scones, croissants and any other breakfast pastry you could think of. 

“Did you buy out a bakery?” Rey asked, showing him the sheer amount of food he had bought. 

“Well, I wasn’t sure what you liked,” his voice was quiet, his eyes wandering around the room. Rey felt a smirk tug at her lips but quickly stifled it. 

Her inner omega preened at his attention, but she refused to believe his actions were driven by anything other than the ill side effects of being an Alpha. Still, she accepted the abundant offering and grabbed a muffin off the top of the pile. She took a bite, letting the warm buttery pastry melt against her tongue. 

“Hmm, I _love_ blueberry,” Rey moaned through the crumbs, her body hungry for anything other than alcohol after such a rough night. She raised a hand to her mouth, remembering her manners and trying not to show off all the muffin tumbling around between her teeth. She looked at Ben shyly and found his eyes hyper focused on her face. She couldn’t stop the blush from rising onto her cheeks. 

“Thanks for this, by the way,” Rey said, face flushed and mouth still full of muffin. 

“Yeah. No worries.” That seemed to break Ben out of his trance, he took a sip of coffee before quickly sliding past her into the hallway and leaving without another word.

* * *

Rey practiced the rest of the morning, slowly draining her coffee and stuffing more pastries into her mouth. Ben never came back around, nor did she hear him playing in any of the other practice rooms. He didn’t even eat any of the food he’d bought. 

Rey wandered over to the rehearsal hall as the other orchestra members began shuffling in. Rey stood in the hallway outside with her bag of treats, deciding to share them with Rose whenever she arrived. From what Rey remembered the girl was going to need something this morning, she drank more than Rey did and was way smaller. 

Poe showed up first. He had bags under his eyes but looked better than Rey felt. 

“Hey, want some breakfast?” she said, holding out the bag. His eyes went wide and quickly grabbed two scones from it, shoveling one into his mouth before speaking. 

“You went through all this trouble for me? You shouldn’t have,” Poe winked at her and Rey giggled. Finn was right, he was incredibly charming. It’s a shame she didn’t get to meet funny charismatic Poe first. 

“Actually, these are courtesy of our illustrious concertmaster.” Poe’s mood changed and he took in her face more soberly, looking for something on her face. 

“Oh,” Poe looked at the scone for a moment as if suspicious of it. “Okay. Weird.” 

“Yeah, you’re telling me.” 

The Alpha took a bite, looking at the bag in her suspiciously. 

“I have a theory,” he mumbled through the crumbs. “I’ll tell you about it later.” 

He winked at her and marched past it, obviously unafraid of the powers that be prohibiting food in the rehearsal hall. 

A theory? Rey would love to be privy to it. She’d kill for just a clue. 

She nursed her coffee, waiting for Rose as the other musicians filed in. Some avoided her gaze, leaving a wide berth between them in the hall as they passed by. She couldn’t help but feel that she stunk of failure. Everyone had heard Solo’s words thrown at her yesterday. No doubt they thought of her as highly as he did. 

How did he think of her anyway? 

Going back to the beginning she knew that base line Ben Solo was, by default, a jerk. No circling around that. He was pompous, quick to anger, and didn’t think much of anyone in the orchestra besides maybe Holdo. Then, boom, Alpha switch gets flicked and Rey gets to spend some of the best hours of her life wrapped up in his scent and held close against his body. Then the heat ends, and Solo has overdone himself trying to revert back to a cold supervisor. 

Did he really hate her that much? 

Yet this morning he’d been bordering on friendly. Probably just his Alpha instincts poking through the thick veil of dickhead insisting that he do something what nice for an Omega. Especially an Omega he’d fucked this week. In the end it’s all hormones. Ben Solo hadn’t given her the time of day before her heat, and it would only make since that he resented her for trigging the biological impulse to actually give a shit about her. She didn’t like caring about him either. 

Rey looked down at the bag of food and threw into the trashcan beside her. Rose could fend for herself for the morning. 

The girl marched into the rehearsal hall and made a beeline for the brass section. Poe Dameron was fiddling with his French horn when she reached him.

Huh, she would have pegged him as a trumpet player. 

“What’s your theory?” she asked, shifting the weight of her cello on her back. Poe’s brown eyes slid side to side where the other musicians were obviously listening in before returning her glance. 

“You want to do this right now?” he whispered, leaning over his music stand. 

“Yes, if you don’t mind,” Rey said, beginning to wilt under the attentions of the tuba players. She shifted her cello off her back onto the floor and kneeled beside Poe’s chair, her hand instinctively landing on his knee to keep her balance. 

“He’s just being very…” Poe considered the word before spitting it out. “Alpha.” 

“That’s not helpful.” 

“God, didn’t you take a designations class?” 

“No, I was a music major.” 

“I got a minor in Designation Sciences.” 

“Good for you Dr. Dameron, share your knowledge with the ignorant children.” 

“Rey,” Poe sighed, slouching in his chair. “He’s obviously fighting against his Alpha impulses. Being rude to you is his way of ignoring them, and instances like- well like this morning with the pastries are when they pull through.” 

“Oh,” Rey crumpled under his words. She’d been thinking it, of course, and had even reached out to confirm it but it still hurt. That meant every moment she spent in his apartment, her legs tangled up with his, their lips desperately pressed together was just… biology. Hormones released at just the right time and yet at the worst time. “That’s kind what I thought…” 

Rey chewed on lip, her cheeks flushing with shame as Poe’s words sunk in. She was right, Ben really didn’t care for her and was fighting against himself. Pastries and soft kisses were not Ben’s true feelings, his harsh remarks and sharp words were. 

“Good morning everyone,” Holdo’s voice echoed around the rehearsal hall, her binder under one arm, as she power walked to her podium. Rey wanted to be happy that their conductor was finally back from leave, but she was captured by the man in a dress shirt and black slacks standing stiffly in the doorway. He had his instrument in one hand, the other holding the door open for Holdo who had long ago passed through it and his eyes were on Rey. She felt a million emotions in that single moment. Want, fear, shame, desire, hurt, and a hundred other ones she couldn’t put a name to. A muscle in his jaw twitched, his teeth on edge as he looked at her. 

Must be hard caring about someone you hate. Rey decided not to prolong the man’s pain and turned back to Poe. 

“Thanks, Dameron,” she whispered, squeezing his knee before walking over to her chair to set up her instrument. 

“Now don’t everyone talk all at once,” Holdo said, looking up at the orchestra over her glasses. “I’m doing fine, not that anyone asked, just a nasty cold that your brave conductor has finally overcome. I hope you all had a good time with Mr. Solo at the helm.” 

No one spoke. All the musicians turned their eyes to Ben still standing in the doorway looking completely lost. Holdo followed their gaze, her eyes squinting at the young man as if trying to piece together his thoughts. 

“Well, in any case I’m back. As a reminder we have a benefit concert coming up in a few weeks and we want everything to polished and perfect, so everyone yanks out their checkbook and writes fat checks, okay?” 

“I AM SO SORRY I’M LATE MR. SOLO- I,” Rose burst into the rehearsal hall. She was wearing the clothes she had on at the bar, mascara smudged beneath her eyes and her viola case hugged tightly against her chest. She smashed into Ben’s shoulder as she barreled through and stopped to apologize but found Holdo looking at her along with the rest of the orchestra. “Oh… Ms. Holdo… nice to see you’re doing better.” 

“Thank you for noticing,” Holdo gave the girl a small nod and Rose quickly ran to her seat. Rey suddenly felt bad for throwing away all those pastries, it looked like Rose really could have used one today. “Ahem, Ben would you like to take a seat? It’s the front one on the left there like it always is.” 

“What? Oh.” Ben snapped out of whatever trance he was caught in and shuffled to his chair. Rey didn’t dare watch him; instead she kept her eyes down plucking at the strings of her cello. 

“Okay, so I’m not sure what you guys have been up to for the last few days but let’s shake it off and get into gear. Mozart’s 40th- let’s go, people!”

The Chandrila Philharmonic had definitely had better rehearsals. Despite the piece being a familiar one, their performance didn’t sound particularly good. After the last note of the Molto Allegro resolved, Rey flinched in preparation for an insult but soon remembered that Amilyn Holdo was, at her very core, a professional. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking over her orchestra making eye contact with as many people as she could. Her gaze settled last on Ben Solo. The concertmaster held his chin up, met her gaze and quickly looked away. 

Wow. 

Rose abruptly turned over her shoulder to make a face at Rey that said _Did you see that?_ Rey nodded in reply, her mouth hanging open just a smidge. 

It had been silent, but Ben Solo had admitted defeat in front of everyone. Rey caught Finn’s eye, who was equally as bewildered. Everyone shifted uncomfortably in their chairs, cases and binders rattling around in the quiet rehearsal hall. 

No one wanted to disappoint Holdo, but it seemed even worse to see the great Ben Solo hang his head in shame. 

“Well hell it’s Friday,” Holdo finally said, a forced smile touching her lips. “Let’s work on our small group pieces and start fresh altogether on Monday.” 

The silence of the room was finally broken by everyone gathering their things and shoving chairs into place. Rey stayed in place, watching Ben who was gripping his binder, staring so hard he might burn holes in them. 

Rey jumped when Rose sat on the ground, leaning against her chair. 

“Rey, I feel like garbage,” Rose groaned. 

“Yeah, same,” Rey said, leaning against the neck of her cello. Her late night and early morning were beginning to catch up to her, her coffee doing little to fight off her growing headache. 

“Why does it feel more and more like a high school band hall in here?” Rose said, her head falling back to rest against Rey’s thigh. 

“Because we’re hormonal and suck,” Rey mumbled, watching as Poe abandoned his French Horn group and ventured into the string section to meet them. 

“Rey,” Poe began, glancing over his shoulder quickly before turning back to her. “I didn’t get to finish earlier.” 

“Yeah, Poe you didn’t need to,” Rey said, waving him away. “I was confirming what I already thought. I get it. Alpha hormones make you do weird stuff even to people you don’t like.” 

“Well, sort of but not exactly-” Poe began, his hands flying up trying to express his words quicker through motions instead of words. 

“Poe, we get it he’s an asshole,” Rose said, eyes closed, an arm draped over her face to block out the fluorescent lighting. 

“Yes, that’s true, but not what I was saying-”

“ _Dameron._ ” Everyone snapped to attention at the Alpha tone. Solo stood behind Poe, his music binder gripped so tightly Rey thought the plastic might break. “Unless you plan on taking up bass, please return to your section.” 

His tone was in no way friendly, his dark eyes drilling holes into the horn player. Poe seemed equally on edge; his jaw tensed as he stood toe to toe with the other Alpha. 

“Sorry, I was talking with my friends. I realize that may be a foreign concept to you,” Poe spat back. Rose gasped, and Rey could only watch in horror. It was no longer just cello section listening in, but the violas and the bassoons and oboes as well. The double basses were watching from behind their instruments. 

“Watch yourself, Dameron,” Ben hissed. Both men looked ready to pounce and Rey began to move her cello to stop it, but unlike the last time they had met there was no Frebreze on hand. Luckily, just as Poe parted his lips to mouth off again Finn appeared having run over from the second violins and grabbed Dameron by the arm. 

“Poe!” Finn screeched through his teeth; his eyes wide at Dameron as if trying to tell him to shut the fuck up by his pupils alone. “I think your section is missing you.”

Dameron gave Ben another hard look before marching back to the French horns who all looked incredibly nervous with no idea what to do with themselves. 

Solo’s eyes settled on the three of them, still tense from the standoff. He avoided Rey’s gaze. She tried not to take it personally, but she still felt the sting. 

“Let’s begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoped you enjoyed! Let me know what you think in the comments!


	9. Ardent Song

Rey had started playing the cello in middle school. A family of millionaires looking to do some good plucked her school out of the sandy Jakku dirt and gave them a music program. She’d spent every day after class in the music room, practicing. She’d practice until she was thrown out of the building and then walk in early the next day for more. So rabid had been her appetite for music, for making it with her own hands. On the last day of her eighth-grade year, her teacher had presented her with her very own cello and a letter from the head of the Skywalker Fund. 

_For your intense love of music, may it always bring you and those around you joy. – L._

It was written in the messy hand of an adult who isn’t used to handwriting letters, especially not to orphans. Rey would read the note over and over again, vowing to do just as he said. She promised herself to take that man’s gift and bring joy to everyone around her. 

Rey wasn’t feeling very joyful now. 

Since she’d started playing, Rey had formed thick calluses on the fingertips of her left hand. The result from pressing against thick, stiff strings everyday for most of your life. Those first months of building hard skin on such a delicate area of her hands was agony, but she had pushed through it. Some of the other kids would cut their practice time short, but not Rey. She had to use every minute she was there and not at the group home to make something of herself. To make something joyful and pretty. They were a mark of pride for her. Something she could look at and remind herself- _I’m a professional musician._

It was within the second hour of quartet rehearsal that the first callus busted open. The thick skin built up on her index finger cracked and splintered and she felt the sting of air hitting nerves. Rey stared at the injury for a moment, watching a single small bead of blood well up to the surface before a measure was called out and she had to dive back into the music. 

Pain shot through her hand as the wound pressed against the strings, but she bit back her words and kept going. She wasn’t expecting any kind of sympathy, not from anyone. She knew from experience she rarely got it. Even more so now. She ignored the ever-present smell of sandalwood and Solo’s foot taping out the beat in the corner of her eye and thought only of the music. 

They wrapped up a song that was far too peppy for Rey’s current emotions and she took the chance to look at her hand again. Her ring finger’s callus had cracked as well, but not as deep. Still she felt a twinge of sadness looking at years of hard work ruined in a moment. It’d take weeks for them to heal back to normal and playing everyday wouldn’t help the process. Especially playing at the break neck pace Solo expected. 

“Do it again,” Ben snapped, not even bothering to look up from his music. Rey chanced a glance up at him. His dark hair was pushed back from his face, his dark eyes already zeroing in on the music before him. She opened her mouth to protest, but he was already pressing his bow to his strings and at once the quartet flew into the song again. Rey cringed as she missed the first note and hoped he wouldn’t notice. 

Who was she trying to kid? Of course, he noticed. 

Rey grit her teeth together. She couldn’t focus on Solo right now, she needed all her brain power on the music. She couldn’t think about Solo, her fingers, and the music. So Alphas and injuries went by the wayside and she focused on the notes. 

The song hit the last measure, and Rey quickly scratched out the second to last note before she slouched back into her chair. She shook out her left hand, cringing at the hot pain radiating from her fingertip. She looked up to speak to Rose but found Ben’s eyes on her. It was hard to tell what he was feeling; his face was a grim mask carefully held in place and his eyes were hard. Her throat went dry.

“You didn’t finish the piece, Niima,” he said, his tone calm. “How about you play it for the rest of us, since we actually played the last note.” 

Rey looked to Finn, he gave her a weak smile. Rose looked as exhausted as Rey felt and she gave her a small nod of her head. Rey took a breath, trying to let out all the frustration building in her chest out on a single exhale. _Just tell him you need a break, he’ll understand._

“Now, Niima.” 

Rey stopped and looked at Ben. He was sitting up right, unlike the other two who had jumped at the chance to relax for a moment. He was watching her closely. 

She didn’t need a break. She needed to show him what she could do. 

Rey drew her bow, deciding her fingers could wait. She made it halfway through the piece before Ben stopped her. 

“Measure 32- watch your pitch. Start over.” 

Rey balked for a moment before jerking her head back to her music to start again. She dove into the music, trying not wince as her cracked calluses pressed against the strings. 

“Stop. You’re too loud- start again.” 

Rey closed her eyes for a moment. Her stomach was doing flip flops. The familiar rage brewing in her stomach, the same storm that blew when she had punched her temporary foster brother when she was six, or when she snapped at her case worker as a teenager. The unrelenting feeling of unfairness that she felt helpless to stop. She didn’t think she’d ever feel it again. She channeled all that anger at the world into her cello so many years ago, and yet here it was tempting to push her over the edge and make her say things she didn’t mean. Rey let the air in her lungs blow out of her nostrils like a dragon blowing smoke. 

“Niima, we don’t have all day for you to get it right.” 

She didn’t look at him, only began to play but was quickly stopped by his voice chiming in again. 

“Watch your bow placement.”

Rey rolled her neck and set her bow to the strings again. She almost got to the chorus before Ben’s voice halted the music again. 

“Faster.”

Again, from the top, she started out the song, mashing her wounded fingers against the fingerboard harder than necessary. 

“Faster.” 

Rey didn’t stop but sped up. Her left hand was cramping up from pressing too hard against the instrument. She didn’t need to be slamming her hand against the wood, but it made her feel better. She raced through the next line, working faster but softer and keeping her back straight and bow arm up. Suddenly the intuitiveness of playing had dissolved, and she was left trying to remember all of the techniques she learned years ago. She could feel the tension building in her shoulders and knew she needed to relax- she could once she finished this damn song. 

“ _Faster!_ ”

Rey smacked her fingers down and as she did the thick metal of the cello string caught the edge of her cracked callus. She didn’t realize until she’d already jerked her hand to the next position, and by then the thick piece of skin had already been ripped off. Raw skin hit the tense metal string and pain rippled through her arm. Her bow skipped and the measure scratched to a halt.

“Start again.”

Rey flinched as the pain in her finger bloomed. She quickly dropped her bow and grabbed her cello with her right hand to prevent more blood from seeping into the wood. Her heart was beating wildly, ready to slam right out of her chest. Her hands were trembling, and she felt a million pairs of eyes on her. No one was playing anymore- they were all watching her trial by fire. A trial she couldn’t help but feel like she failed. Her fingers and her soul consumed by fire. 

“Niima, we’re not done.”

Rey turned on him. Ben Solo. Weren’t Alphas supposed to care for Omegas? Have some small weakness for them? Her cheeks were on fire. Rey stood up carrying her cello over and thrusting the neck, sticky with warm blood, into his hand. 

“I am.” She hissed before turning for the door. The eyes on her were too much, every person here got to peer into her life, and it felt invasive. They all got to watch Ben demand too much of her and no one said a god damn thing. Her feet broke into a sprint and before she knew it she was crashing through the doors into the hallway. 

The green dingy carpet seemed to spin beneath her. Rey grabbed her knees, trying to focus on the coffee stain on the floor in front of her to ground her mind if even for a moment. 

She, of course, didn’t get this moment. Solo burst through the doors behind her. Rey flinched, standing up straight and preparing for his mighty Alpha wrath. She was still on a probationary period; the orchestra could cut her off and not even have to file paperwork for it. Rey took a breath, ready for the worst.

“You’re bleeding.” Ben was… worried? He didn’t stop his stride until he was in front of her. He took her hand and Rey let him, watching as he inspected her fingers. “This is bad, come with me there’s a first aid kit in my office.” 

There was a part of her that truly wanted to follow him. To curl up on the couch in his office that would surely smell like him and let her Alpha dote on her. But he wasn’t her Alpha. That much had become pretty clear. Her chest felt tight as she wrenched her hand away, holding it close to her own chest. 

“What are you doing?” she demanded. 

“I’m trying to help you.”

“No, not right now. I mean all of it, this week- what are you trying to do?” She was on a roll now. She didn’t give Ben a breath of a pause to but in. Rey had kept all her emotions tied up in a pretty bow in front of him for far too long. “Are you trying to get me to quit? Is that it? You obviously don’t want me here- you don’t want me in your orchestra, but you can’t fire an Omega, is that it? You’ve been making me feel like garbage all week, so you don’t have to get you hands dirty.” 

She jabbed a finger into his chest, digging into the muscle beneath his shirt. Rey was on fire and no fog of sandalwood or cool alpha tones would be able to extinguish it. He stood frozen; his face emotionless as she drilled into him. 

“You’re not going to get that satisfaction from me, _Alpha_ ,” she let the word fall from her tongue like syrup, sneering as it left her lips. He sagged under her words, his eyes looking tired. He opened his mouth, but she raised a finger to silence him. “I’m not going to quit, no matter what you tell me. You can yell at me in front of everyone every day, you can belittle me, you can make me feel like nothing but if you want me gone you’re going to have to do it yourself.” 

Rey didn’t realize she had started crying until the warm tears slid down her cheek. She stood, her entire body trembling, glaring up at Ben Solo. 

“I don’t want you to quit.” His voice was soft. Rey furrowed her brow at him, trying to figure out what kind of game he was trying to play. Her eyes glistened with more tears, and she felt her anger start to cool but held onto it. It was the only thing keeping her from collapsing into a complete mess. 

“What?” 

“I don’t want you to go, I don’t want you to quit.” His eyes were on the floor between them, his face pale. “I didn’t- I haven’t intended to make you feel that way.” 

“Well, what did you _intend?_ ” she snapped, her breathing coming quickly. Her eyes searched his face, looking for anything to hang onto in the wave of confusion and conflicting emotions. Ben shifted under her gaze looking uncomfortable. 

“I was afraid people might think I was giving you preferential treatment because of our.. our time together. I didn’t want them to think that you got your chair here by anything other than your skill.” 

She glared into him harder, the question harshly snapping from her lips. “Why do you care what people think about me?”

Ben took a breath, gathering his thoughts before calmly continuing, ignoring her question. 

“You said you wanted to forget about everything, Rey. I’m sorry I couldn’t do that,” the words came out in a slow, steady tone. As if he had rehearsed the sentence repeatedly. He let out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing as if finally dropping the weight of the world off them. “If you’re happy with Dameron I’ll get out of your way and I’ll watch my tone.”

“Wait, _what?_ ” Rey was completely lost. 

“You and Dameron!” 

“Dameron is fucking Finn!” 

“Uh- wait-”

“And wait a fucking second what do you mean I said to forget everything?” 

“You said you wanted to forget about- forget about your heat and us so I did, or I tried to!” he said, his hand starting to gesture with his words as his own frustration began to bubble to the surface. 

“I didn’t say that,” Rey said, shaking her head, holding a hand to her forehead as if her entire skull might fly off at any minute. 

“Yes, you did!” 

“No, I said we should, like, act normal at work.” 

“You might have thought that, but that is not what came out of your mouth.” 

“I don’t remember what I said!” 

“Well I do! It echoes in my head every damn day!” 

“Why would that even matter to you?”

“Because, Rey, I don’t want to forget about it!”  
“W-why?” she stuttered. 

“Because I fucking _like_ you Rey! I care about you and I want you to be safe and happy and all those stupid Alpha feelings that make me feel all fuzzy and dumb when you’re around! I want to make you breakfast every morning because you obviously skip it! And I want to put a band-aid on your finger because my instincts are telling me my Omega is hurt and I feel my skin is going to crawl off if I don’t fix it!”

“Ohhhhhhhh,” Rey said, her eyes wide as a million realizations bloomed in her mind. “Shit.”


End file.
